A captain, they say, must lead from the front. By that measure, Ruturaj Gaikwad has endured a quiet start to the Indian Premier League 2026. But Chennai Super Kings’ bowling coach Eric Simons insists there is little concern within the camp over the skipper’s lean run.
“It’s a cliché that class is permanent. Tilak (Varma) had been struggling, hadn’t he? And then he has gone and played an incredible knock. We don’t doubt Rutu at all and he doesn’t doubt himself,” Simons said on Wednesday, on the eve of CSK’s marquee clash against Mumbai Indians.
The numbers underline the lull. Gaikwad has managed 82 runs off 73 balls across six innings — returns that have mirrored CSK’s broader struggles at the top. The absence of a consistent anchor has hurt a batting unit that’s still searching for stability.
Preview | Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings: a familiar rivalry seeks new relevance
Yet, within the dressing room, the view remains unchanged: it is a matter of time.
“For us, it’s just a moment that that breakout comes. Maybe it’s a shot, maybe it’s something that gets through a gap and he is away,” Simons said. “He is a very calm man. He has got a lot of self-confidence. He knows his game particularly well. It just hasn’t paid off for him up to this stage.”
Simons emphasised that Gaikwad’s mindset remains intact, even if the returns haven’t followed.
“We have had no concerns about his frame of mind. It’s just a matter of when, not if he comes to the fore again.”
On Thursday night at the Wankhede Stadium, both CSK and its captain will hope that moment arrives.
Published on Apr 22, 2026
![Sridharan Sriram: “They’ve got a very good understanding” as CSK spin duo clicks; Southee backs struggling KKR For the first time since April 2024, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) was able to register two consecutive wins in the Indian Premier League (IPL).The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led team secured a 32-run win over last-placed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to move to eighth on the points table, surpassing fellow five-time champion Mumbai Indians.At the heart of the victory were two spinners, Noor Ahmad and Akeal Hosein, who shared four wickets between them. In their eight-over quota, they conceded just 56 runs and picked up wickets at regular intervals to derail the KKR batting unit.Their ability to complement each other, coupled with inputs from former skipper M.S. Dhoni, fuelled the game-defining performance, feels CSK’s assistant bowling coach Sridharan Sriram.“They both communicate well, and they’ve got a very good understanding. I think today [Tuesday], Akeal was the one who went and told Noor about the length that he needed to bowl. Noor bowled a bit short in the first over, but once he found that in-between length, he was unplayable,” he said in the post-match press conference.“Even MS (Dhoni) had a long chat with him (Noor), asking him to bowl more leg breaks. It was really helpful today, and the results were there to show,” he added.One glaring issue in an otherwise perfect night for the home side was the number of catches dropped. Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, and Ajinkya Rahane were all given extra lives. However, they were unable to capitalise on those chances.“It is something that the fielding coach will definitely address. I think in the last game we set really high standards. So one or two misses are bound to happen, but I think we’ll bounce back,” Sriram said.Reposing faithOn the flip side, problems persist for KKR, which is languishing at the bottom of the table. One such issue that needs immediate attention is the lack of contribution from Cameron Green. With the ball, he conceded 30 in two overs, and in the chase, fell to Noor Ahmad off the very first ball.“He hasn’t performed the way he would’ve wanted, yes. But he’s a quality player, and I think he didn’t play a lot of cricket leading into the IPL. Yeah, but of all people, he would be disappointed with himself. I’m sure he’ll bounce back at some stage this season,” said Tim Southee, KKR’s bowling coach.Adding to the team’s woes, its frontline spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has failed to make an impact so far. After conceding over 12 runs per over in the previous two games, Varun was able to control the damage, going for just over 26 runs in three overs.“If you look at Varun’s record in the IPL, it’s unbelievable. When you have a record like that and have a rough outing, there will be a lot of outside noise. But looking at the success he’s had with Kolkata and India, I think he will bounce back,” Southee said.Published on Apr 15, 2026 #Sridharan #Sriram #Theyve #good #understanding #CSK #spin #duo #clicks #Southee #backs #struggling #KKR](https://i1.wp.com/ss-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/4j790v/article70863916.ece/alternates/LANDSCAPE_1200/TH15-LEAD-CSK-KGEDFRQP9F.3.jpg.jpg?ssl=1 "Sridharan Sriram: “They’ve got a very good understanding” as CSK spin duo clicks; Southee backs struggling KKR For the first time since April 2024, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) was able to register two consecutive wins in the Indian Premier League (IPL).The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led team secured a 32-run win over last-placed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to move to eighth on the points table, surpassing fellow five-time champion Mumbai Indians.At the heart of the victory were two spinners, Noor Ahmad and Akeal Hosein, who shared four wickets between them. In their eight-over quota, they conceded just 56 runs and picked up wickets at regular intervals to derail the KKR batting unit.Their ability to complement each other, coupled with inputs from former skipper M.S. Dhoni, fuelled the game-defining performance, feels CSK’s assistant bowling coach Sridharan Sriram.“They both communicate well, and they’ve got a very good understanding. I think today [Tuesday], Akeal was the one who went and told Noor about the length that he needed to bowl. Noor bowled a bit short in the first over, but once he found that in-between length, he was unplayable,” he said in the post-match press conference.“Even MS (Dhoni) had a long chat with him (Noor), asking him to bowl more leg breaks. It was really helpful today, and the results were there to show,” he added.One glaring issue in an otherwise perfect night for the home side was the number of catches dropped. Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, and Ajinkya Rahane were all given extra lives. However, they were unable to capitalise on those chances.“It is something that the fielding coach will definitely address. I think in the last game we set really high standards. So one or two misses are bound to happen, but I think we’ll bounce back,” Sriram said.Reposing faithOn the flip side, problems persist for KKR, which is languishing at the bottom of the table. One such issue that needs immediate attention is the lack of contribution from Cameron Green. With the ball, he conceded 30 in two overs, and in the chase, fell to Noor Ahmad off the very first ball.“He hasn’t performed the way he would’ve wanted, yes. But he’s a quality player, and I think he didn’t play a lot of cricket leading into the IPL. Yeah, but of all people, he would be disappointed with himself. I’m sure he’ll bounce back at some stage this season,” said Tim Southee, KKR’s bowling coach.Adding to the team’s woes, its frontline spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has failed to make an impact so far. After conceding over 12 runs per over in the previous two games, Varun was able to control the damage, going for just over 26 runs in three overs.“If you look at Varun’s record in the IPL, it’s unbelievable. When you have a record like that and have a rough outing, there will be a lot of outside noise. But looking at the success he’s had with Kolkata and India, I think he will bounce back,” Southee said.Published on Apr 15, 2026 #Sridharan #Sriram #Theyve #good #understanding #CSK #spin #duo #clicks #Southee #backs #struggling #KKR")
![IPL 2026: Sanju Samson stakes claim to be CSK’s ‘leading man’ with maiden hundred in yellow jersey Viyarppu thunniyitta kuppayam. Athil nirangal mangukilla kattayam. [Dress spun from sweat; more vivid than any story ever told].The opening lyrics of the song ‘Kuthanthram’ from the 2024 Malayalam classic ‘Manjummel Boys’ left a lasting imprint on people’s minds due to its quirky metaphorical connotation.Indian batter Sanju Samson had referenced the phrase in a social media post after finding a spot back in the playing eleven after being dropped following a disappointing tour of Australia.A lot has transpired in Samson’s life since that game in December 2025. He was dropped from the team again. He was reintegrated again. And then he played three career-defining knocks, one after the other, to guide his nation to a third T20 World Cup triumph.On Saturday, at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, another vivid story was written when a drenched-in-sweat Samson yielded his willow after Chennai Super Kings’ first innings against Delhi Capitals. An unbeaten 115 in front of 30,000 yellow-clad fans at his new amphitheatre was the first real indication of a metamorphosis foreseen by many since the 31-year-old traded his longstanding pink for yellow ahead of the new IPL season.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yGy2jRz8Jc[/embed]Like most things in his more-than-a-decade-long career so far, this too did not come easy for him. Three consecutive no-shows with the bat, all while being the torchbearer for the side’s new injection of exuberance, almost extinguished the halo of nobility that appeared after his World Cup exploits.The first ball he faced from debutant Auqib Nabi set the tone for the day. You would imagine that a batter who was dismissed thrice in succession by the ball moving away — twice through an outside edge looking to push away from off-stump — would look to ensure there was no movement on offer before playing a similar shot. Not Samson. He prodded his front foot across, in a sign of immense self-confidence, to caress the ball through the covers and pick up three.While his opening partner, Ruturaj Gaikwad, struggled to combine both timing and the art of finding the gap together, Samson delivered a clinic in batting against pace in the PowerPlay, combining composure and direction to give his side a rapid start. Two gorgeous fours over extra-cover against Axar Patel followed, after which the Kerala batter slipped his vehicle into autopilot, the likes of which we saw at the victorious multi-nation tournament.A bothersome back, a dropped catch in the deep, and an unnerving prolonged stint in the 90s later, a fortuitous outside edge of the blade took him to three figures, one that the crowd welcomed with ear-splitting whistles and a standing ovation. The CSK fanbase has long venerated a wicketkeeper-batter to such a degree that he is now considered to be the son of the soil. The unyielding fandom has grown to such an extent that it forces him to return to play in front of the adoring crowd despite his growing years. It can’t go on forever, though. But now, there is a successor in place, and Saturday at the Chepauk was his first step towards staking a claim to be that leading man. Published on Apr 12, 2026 #IPL #Sanju #Samson #stakes #claim #CSKs #leading #man #maiden #yellow #jersey](https://i2.wp.com/ss-i.thgim.com/public/incoming/rfo0xt/article70853376.ece/alternates/LANDSCAPE_1200/image%2013.jpg?ssl=1 "IPL 2026: Sanju Samson stakes claim to be CSK’s ‘leading man’ with maiden hundred in yellow jersey Viyarppu thunniyitta kuppayam. Athil nirangal mangukilla kattayam. [Dress spun from sweat; more vivid than any story ever told].The opening lyrics of the song ‘Kuthanthram’ from the 2024 Malayalam classic ‘Manjummel Boys’ left a lasting imprint on people’s minds due to its quirky metaphorical connotation.Indian batter Sanju Samson had referenced the phrase in a social media post after finding a spot back in the playing eleven after being dropped following a disappointing tour of Australia.A lot has transpired in Samson’s life since that game in December 2025. He was dropped from the team again. He was reintegrated again. And then he played three career-defining knocks, one after the other, to guide his nation to a third T20 World Cup triumph.On Saturday, at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, another vivid story was written when a drenched-in-sweat Samson yielded his willow after Chennai Super Kings’ first innings against Delhi Capitals. An unbeaten 115 in front of 30,000 yellow-clad fans at his new amphitheatre was the first real indication of a metamorphosis foreseen by many since the 31-year-old traded his longstanding pink for yellow ahead of the new IPL season.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yGy2jRz8Jc[/embed]Like most things in his more-than-a-decade-long career so far, this too did not come easy for him. Three consecutive no-shows with the bat, all while being the torchbearer for the side’s new injection of exuberance, almost extinguished the halo of nobility that appeared after his World Cup exploits.The first ball he faced from debutant Auqib Nabi set the tone for the day. You would imagine that a batter who was dismissed thrice in succession by the ball moving away — twice through an outside edge looking to push away from off-stump — would look to ensure there was no movement on offer before playing a similar shot. Not Samson. He prodded his front foot across, in a sign of immense self-confidence, to caress the ball through the covers and pick up three.While his opening partner, Ruturaj Gaikwad, struggled to combine both timing and the art of finding the gap together, Samson delivered a clinic in batting against pace in the PowerPlay, combining composure and direction to give his side a rapid start. Two gorgeous fours over extra-cover against Axar Patel followed, after which the Kerala batter slipped his vehicle into autopilot, the likes of which we saw at the victorious multi-nation tournament.A bothersome back, a dropped catch in the deep, and an unnerving prolonged stint in the 90s later, a fortuitous outside edge of the blade took him to three figures, one that the crowd welcomed with ear-splitting whistles and a standing ovation. The CSK fanbase has long venerated a wicketkeeper-batter to such a degree that he is now considered to be the son of the soil. The unyielding fandom has grown to such an extent that it forces him to return to play in front of the adoring crowd despite his growing years. It can’t go on forever, though. But now, there is a successor in place, and Saturday at the Chepauk was his first step towards staking a claim to be that leading man. Published on Apr 12, 2026 #IPL #Sanju #Samson #stakes #claim #CSKs #leading #man #maiden #yellow #jersey")
