Chennai Super Kings (CSK) finished the recently held IPL 2026 season with 6 wins and 8 defeats, missing out on the playoffs for the third consecutive year.
In an interview with Sportstar, CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad defended the team’s struggles, saying that though he’s ‘disappointed’ with the failure, his critics are not considering the injuries they have dealt with.
Despite Gaikwad leading the team for the last three seasons, MS Dhoni’s shadow has loomed large on the team. Sanju Samson’s arrival as a potential leadership candidate has also put the spotlight on the current captain.
“The last two years haven’t gone the way everyone expected," Gaikwad said. “But you have to understand certain dynamics and factors that affect a season. Even in 2025, me being captain and missing more than half the tournament was definitely a setback. Last year too, we had four or five players from our playing XII miss almost half the tournament."
CSK indeed suffered a major setback due to a wave of injuries this season. Dhoni (calf injury and then thumb issue), Jamie Overton (thigh injury), Nathan Ellis (hamstring), Ayush Mhatre (hamstring), Khaleel Ahmed (quadricep tear), and Ramakrishna Ghosh (broken foot) missed some games or the entire season.
Gaikwad emphasized that losing three or four core players creates a ripple effect on team dynamics and results. He specifically compared the situation to back-to-back champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), noting that any successful team would struggle with similar absences.
“Even if you look at the successful teams like RCB, if you take away three or four major players, it is definitely going to have an impact. Those are factors a lot of people don’t take into consideration. It is a results-driven tournament, and everyone expects CSK to do well every year because that’s what the franchise has done for 15 or 16 seasons," he stated.
Ruturaj Gaikwad asked fans to be patient. He explained that while recent seasons have been tough, everyone is working hard to bring the team back to its winning ways.
“Sometimes things don’t work out the way we want them to. But all the players are working hard to get the team where the fans want to see it. Hopefully, we will get there," he remarked.
