Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are staring at the unthinkable: three consecutive seasons without qualifying for the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs. The defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Monday has left the five-time champions on the brink of elimination. Even a win against Gujarat Titans on Thursday may not be enough to keep their hopes alive.
Injuries and batting woes
While CSK have been extremely unlucky with injuries this season, one of the most significant reasons behind their struggle has been the poor batting form and below-par captaincy of Ruturaj Gaikwad. He has appeared so off-colour that many believe Sanju Samson, a proven captain, would be far better suited to a leadership role in CSK than Gaikwad at the moment.
Gaikwad's leadership under scrutiny
Gaikwad, who led the team for five games last year before being injured, took over complete control this time around, including the choice of players from the auction. However, everything has gone wrong for the right-handed batsman, who chose to open the batting with Sanju Samson. Ruturaj's career IPL strike rate is 135.33, but this year it has dropped to 120.68, which has been one of the reasons behind CSK consistently losing the batting Powerplays despite occasional whirlwind starts by Samson.
Coach Fleming's response
Coach Stephen Fleming tried to defend his skipper but acknowledged that the 29-year-old can do more. He has done more in the past and has been a fine player at the top. He hasn't produced the quantity of runs at the pace that he has done in his career, and that is something that he will address, Fleming said.
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