Ruturaj Gaikwad’s form this season has been poor. Five games into the campaign, the Chennai Super Kings skipper has scored just 63 runs at an average of 12.60. Although Gaikwad has been a consistent performer for CSK in the past, the way he approaches the format at the top of the order in the powerplay has not been ideal in how IPL is shaping up. CSK’s opposition for Saturday, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s openers, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, have laid the blueprint in 2024 and are continuing to redefine the boundaries of what can be done when the field restrictions are in place in the first six.
Chennai does have the option of using Ayush Mhatre, who has given glimpses with a few innings already of that modern T20 DNA similar to his peer, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. This has opened the chatter if Mhatre should open the batting and Gaikwad should be pushed down to three. “We talk about everything,” said head coach Stephen Fleming, if there are any discussions of change in batting roles. “We’re always looking at different ways. You got to back your captain to the hilt, and Ruturaj’s form will come good. But he’s (Gaikwad) too good a player not to contribute in this line-up,” he added.
Gaikwad has opened 65 times in his career for CSK, scoring 2352 runs at an average of 41.26. Batting at three, his numbers dip down as his average falls to 26 from eight games, scoring 208 runs. Interestingly, though his strike rate opening the batting has been 135.8 and it spikes to 151.82 at number three.
The performances of the side have not helped his batting form either. The side lost three games to start with before winning two back-to-back fixtures against Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders. Gaikwad, after the win against KKR, acknowledged that the lack of form was playing in his mind. “Good to be on the winning side after a long time. Felt it was getting into my head even when batting. Feeling really good, just wanting to make sure to do what the team needs. Mentally, feeling positive,” Gaikwad said to the broadcasters. “A big knock is just around the corner. Definitely, I will do it when it is needed,” he assured.
Fleming, too, was happy with the way Gaikwad was performing in the nets and said there has been a lot of hard work going on in the background. “We’re working hard on several things. The team, the captaincy and the player. He’s going fine. He hasn’t had the returns that he would like, and he’s working hard on that. But that can be the nature of T20. He’s training well. He’s hitting the ball well. He has a positive mindset. He just hasn’t got away yet. But we’ve seen over the years that he’s a quality player.”
“If we can cover for him for a few games and he comes into form, then that’s the way an IPL can go. Very rarely does someone dominate the whole way through. But if we have players coming in and out of form and they dovetail, then that’s a good thing. But he’s working hard, and he’s got a lot of support around him,” Fleming added.
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