'His mind appears to be a bit cluttered': R Ashwin questions Gaikwad's intent after CSK's painful loss to SRH IPL 2026

Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) winning streak didn't last long in the ongoing IPL 2026 as after building some momentum with consecutive victories, the Yellow Army's progress hit a snag on April 18, when they suffered a narrow 10-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

A major point of concern for CSK has been the form of their captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. Despite his pedigree as an experienced top-order batter, he has struggled to find his rhythm this season, managing only 82 runs across six matches. His current average of 13.66, coupled with a strike rate of 112.33, reflects the difficulties he has faced in converting starts into meaningful innings.

His mind appears to be a bit cluttered: R Ashwin

Meanwhile, legendary spinner Ravichandran Ashwin pointed to the match against SRH as a missed opportunity for Gaikwad to regain his touch. During the chase, SRH had set a competitive target of 194, bolstered by half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen. As Ayush Mhatre provided a flying start, it created an ideal environment for Gaikwad to anchor the innings and capitalize on the momentum.

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'He didn't need to take risks'

Ashwin noted that while Mhatre was successfully increasing the run rate, Gaikwad failed to seize the moment, departing after scoring only 19 runs off 13 deliveries with just three boundaries. According to Ashwin, had the skipper managed to stay at the crease longer to support the aggressive start, CSK could have put significantly more pressure on the opposition's bowlers, potentially altering the final outcome of the match.

“It was the best chance for him (Ruturaj Gaikwad) to score runs. He didn't need to take risks or score at a fast pace because of the way Ayush Mhatre started. They were running away with the power play. It was right there for Ruturaj to take some time, score some runs, and come back into form,” Ravichandran Ashwin said on JioHotstar.

“After Ayush Mhatre's wicket, Ruturaj got a very good ball; it's not easy to beat him on the pull. I just feel he is under immense pressure, and his mind appears to be a bit cluttered,” he added.

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Currently, the Yellow Brigade finds themselves in a precarious position, sitting in seventh place on the IPL 2026 points table. With four losses and only two wins from their six matches, they hold a net run rate of -0.780, leaving little room for error. The team will look to reset and reclaim their winning form when they face Mumbai Indians on April 23 at the Wankhede Stadium.