It wouldn’t be overstating it to say Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has been CSK’s most underperforming batter this season. Gaikwad has a dot ball percentage of more than 38 since 2025, and has the lowest strike rate among batters who have faced more than 30 deliveries in the PowerPlay this season.

In this ever-evolving modern T20 game where a total of 200 has become the bare minimum, maximising the PowerPlay is of paramount importance, and Gaikwad simply has not been able to do that job so far. 

In contrast, Ayush Mhatre, in the few games that he played as an opener last year, provided quick starts for the Men in Yellow, striking at more than 180. He has also been in good form this season, scoring two half-centuries.

Should CSK consider pairing Mhatre and Samson at the top and dropping Gaikwad down to number three? Not to forget, Gaikwad is a better player of spin than Mhatre. 

If CSK do end up taking this call, not only do the prospects of a more productive PowerPlay increase, but the home team will also have a bankable player to control the tempo of the game post the first six overs against KKR’s Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy if he is fit and available.