Ravichandran Ashwin has come out strongly in support of Rituraj Gaikwad After Chennai Super Kings’ disappointing IPL 2026 campaign, fans urged fans to stop abusing the young captain after the franchise crashed out of the playoffs.CSK were officially knocked out of the tournament on May 21 after a crushing 89-run defeat against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. Chennai ended the league stage with six wins and eight losses, their third failure to qualify for the play-offs in the last four seasons, an unusual slump for one of the IPL’s most successful franchises.The season also represented a significant transition phase for CSK, especially in the absence of the legendary captain MS DhoniWho did not participate in a single match during IPL 2026. With a young and injury-plagued squad led by Gaekwad, the team struggled to maintain the consistency that had defined the Dhoni era. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin defended Gaekwad against growing criticism from fans and stressed that bad form can happen to any player.“I will maintain, Rituraj is a good player, yes, sometimes, people abuse a lot, I don’t know why. Rituraj Gaekwad is not that kind of player, it can happen to anyone, time can change anyone. Take Ishan Kishan for example, if you remember, Mumbai Indians spent a lot of money to get Ishan Kishan, but he invested a lot in the Mumbai auction. He, but he Batting well for SRH, so times change for everybody, but it doesn’t mean, you know, abusing any player or anything like that,” said Ashwin.Ashwin also reminded fans that the IPL has become significantly more competitive than the early years of CSK’s dominance under Dhoni.“Dhoni and CSK have made everyone used to it in the last 18 years that we will win, we will reach the playoffs, it is that simple. Not so now. Now there are 10 teams. Every team plays good cricket. Anyone can beat anyone on their day, and Chennai won this time against all the teams who are at the bottom of the table. So, they have some yards to go, but they have a lot of promise in their team,” explained Ashwin.Gaekwad himself endured a tough IPL 2026 campaign as both a batsman and captain. Reacquired by CSK for INR 18 crore before the mega auction, he managed to score 337 runs in 14 innings at an average of 28.08. His strike rate of 123.44 became a highlight throughout the season, especially during Chennai’s sluggish power play performances.One of the biggest moments of criticism came during the group stage clash against Gujarat Titans, where Gaekwad registered the slowest half-century of IPL 2026, reaching his fifty in 49 balls.
