New Delhi: Chennai Super Kings Enduring a tough IPL 2026 season. They are currently seventh in the points table with two wins and four losses from six matches and one of the main reasons for their struggles is the captain. Rituraj GaikwadBad form with the bat.Gaekwad has scored just 82 runs in six matches at an average of 13.66 with a strike rate of 112.33.Former India off-spinner R Ashwin believes Gaekwad missed a golden opportunity to return to form during CSK’s match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, especially after Ayush Mahatre’s brilliant start. CSK, who had won two matches in a row, lost to SRH by 10 runs on Saturday.After posting 194/9, through half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma and Henrik Klaasen, SRH restricted CSK to 184/8.“It was a perfect opportunity for him to score runs. The way Ayush Mahatre started, he didn’t need to take any risks or score at a fast pace. He was running away from the powerplay. It was time for Rituraj to take some time, score some runs, and get back into form.“After Ayush Mahatre’s wicket, Rituraj got a very good ball, it’s not easy to beat him at the bridge. I just think he’s under a lot of pressure, and his mind is a bit out of order,” Ashwin said on JioHotstar.CSK started their campaign with three consecutive losses against Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, before bouncing back with back-to-back wins over Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders.However, their momentum was halted once again with a narrow defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad.With a net run rate of -0.780, CSK find themselves at the bottom of the table and are under pressure to turn things around.CSK will next face Mumbai Indians on April 23.
