Manoj Tiwari. has questioned whether Rituraj Gaikwad should continue as captain? Chennai Super KingsAfter another disappointing IPL season, the franchise may need a leadership overhaul. Speaking on Cricbuzz after CSK’s five-wicket defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chepauk, Tiwary pointed to Gaekwad’s lack of fluency with the bat and said the pressure of MS’ success Dhoni Both his batting and captaincy may suffer. Gaikwad had another difficult outing on Monday night, scoring 15 off 21 balls on a surface where times were not easy but scoring opportunities were still available. During the powerplay, the CS skipper managed to score just nine runs off 11 balls and became only the second batsman this season to go without a boundary in the first six overs. His innings once again fueled criticism of Chennai’s cautious approach at the top of the order, especially in a tournament where an aggressive start has become essential. Tiwary admitted that replacing Dhoni as captain was always going to be one of the most difficult tasks in the IPL, but insisted that Gaikwad should stop trying to draw comparisons and instead focus on making his own mark. “You said Rituraj needs to fill his (Dhoni’s) shoes. I think there are no shoes of that size right now. He should focus on building his legacy, and for that he needs to do extensive research on his past matches and identify where he needs to improve, and only then can he be ready to be the captain next season. A captain can only be positive when he is scoring runs, but he is scoring runs. Lack of that fluidity. It is,” Tiwari said. Gaikwad’s overall numbers this season have drawn increased scrutiny. The CSK skipper has scored 321 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of just 120.67 – a return that is looking increasingly tenuous in the context of modern T20 cricket. For most of the season, Chennai’s batting strategy has revolved around Sanju Samson taking the offensive route early while Gaekwad anchors it at the other end. But according to critics, Gaekwad’s refusal to accelerate in games where Samson fails has repeatedly left CSK chasing rather than controlling the pace of matches. Defeat to SRH has now pushed Chennai to the brink of elimination. As long as they are mathematically alive, the five-time champions now need to win their final league match and hope other results go in their favor to qualify for the play-offs. Despite the criticism, Tiwary pointed out one major positive from the season – CSK proved they can compete even without Dhoni playing actively. “So far, we know that CSK can win matches without Dhoni, but if they change the captain, the wicketkeeper, nothing can replace his absence on the field. But rest assured, it has been confirmed that they can win matches without him. They now need to think about how to build the team,” he added. Tiwary also hinted that the CSK management could seriously consider a change of captaincy next season, naming Samson as a possible candidate due to his previous leadership experience. Rajasthan Royals. “Let’s see if he remains the captain next season, because I think Samson is on the field. And that would be a good decision. If Chennai brought him for a specific reason, they can see him as a leader. Gaekwad has been captain for two seasons, and that’s why he extended that tenure this season. But Samson can be the captain, because he will decide to improve Samson next year, where he will be the best player.” He also led RR and is a good batsman as well,” said Tiwary. With CSK now likely to miss the playoffs for the third season in a row, questions about Gaekwad’s batting style and leadership are getting louder.
