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.
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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