‘People abuse so much sometimes’: R Ashwin defends CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad amid criticism

MS Dhoni with Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (Image: PTI) Ravichandran Ashwin has come out in strong support of Ruturaj Gaikwad after Chennai Super Kings’ disappointing IPL 2026 campaign, urging fans to stop abusing the young captain following the franchise’s exit from the playoffs.CSK were officially knocked out of the tournament after suffering a crushing 89-run defeat against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on 21 May. Chennai finished the league stage with six wins and eight defeats, marking their third failure to qualify for the play-offs in the last four seasons, a rare slump for one of the IPL’s most successful franchises.The season also represented a major transition phase for CSK, especially in the absence of legendary captain MS Dhoni, who did not appear in a single match during IPL 2026. With Gaikwad leading a young and injury-hit team, the team struggled to maintain the consistency that once defined the Dhoni era. Taking to his YouTube channel, Ashwin defended Gaikwad against the mounting criticism from fans, stressing that bad form can happen to any player.“I will say that Ruturaj is a good player, yes. Sometimes people abuse like that, I don’t know the reason. Ruturaj Gaikwad is not that kind of player. It can happen to anyone. Time can change for everyone. Take Ishan Kishan for example. If you remember, Mumbai Indians spent a lot of money to get Ishan Kishan in the auction, but Mumba Indians also invested a lot in him. But for SRH, he is batting well, so time changes for everyone, but he doesn’t have the point, you know, to abuse some players or something like that,” Ashwin said.Ashwin also reminded fans that the IPL has become significantly more competitive compared to the initial years of CSK’s dominance under Dhoni.”Dhoni and CSK, in the last 18 years, everyone has become accustomed that we will win, we will make the playoffs, it is that easy. This is not the case now. There are now 10 teams. Every team plays good cricket. Anyone can beat anyone on their day and Chennai have won this time against all the teams below them who are at the bottom of the table. So they have some yards to go but they have a lot of promise in their squad,” Ashwin explained.Gaikwad himself endured a difficult IPL 2026 campaign both as a batsman and as a captain. Reacquired by CSK for INR 18 crore before the mega auction, he managed 337 runs in 14 innings at an average of 28.08. His strike rate of 123.44 became the main talking point throughout the season, especially during Chennai’s slow Powerplay performances.One of the biggest moments of criticism came during the group stage clash against Gujarat Titans, where Gaikwad scored the slowest half-century of IPL 2026, reaching his fifty in 49 deliveries.