Ruturaj Gaikwad has requested the fans to be patient and that supporting the side is important. The five-time IPL winning side haven’t qualified for the playoffs since their title win in 2023 and it has been a concerning tenure for the fans. CSK have made some serious changes to their core by trading Ravindra Jadeja for Sanju Samson. Ruturaj Gaikwad has urged the fans to support every CSK player and that they still are one of the best franchises in the IPL. CSK are undergoing a transition period and they will have to stay strong in these testing times.

"Just be patient, we have seen some of the best days over the last 14 or 15 years. We still believe we are one of the best franchises in the IPL. There will be ups & downs. Supporting every player who represents CSK is important,” stated Ruturaj Gaikwad on Sportstar. The fans were quite disappointed after their third successive elimination in the league stage of the IPL. The skipper has urged the fans to continue supporting the club and the results could be imminent in the coming years.

CSK bank on youthful rebuild after a difficult IPL 2026

In the 2026 edition of the IPL, CSK went into the season with a couple of young expensive buys and the new addition of Sanju Samson to their squad. The squad was highly rated ahead of the season with some explosive batting talent but they got off to the wrong start in the season.

They did manage to find their way in the middle with a couple of victories and with some key players stepping up. Jamie Overton and Anshul Kamboj carried the bowling unit on their shoulders and they performed well for the side. Sanju Samson’s form was crucial to the success of the batting unit and the side’s dependency on just one or two stars affected them negatively.

“Every player who plays for CSK feels something special about representing the franchise. Everyone wants to do a little more for the team. Sometimes things don’t work out the way we want them to but all the players are working hard to get the team where the fans want to see it. Hopefully, we will get there," added Ruturaj Gaikwad.

It is quite obvious that when a player wears the jersey of a franchise that has won the championship 5 times, the pressure could belittle him. CSK have been a side whose success has revolved around the captaincy of MS Dhoni and it is high time that things changed.

The main issue of the Chennai Super Kings in this season has been the balance in the squad. The batting unit itself was heavily reliant on Sanju Samson and there would have been just one or two games in which the side won without his help. The bowling unit was inconsistent leaving Anshul Kamboj a lot of work to do to contain the flow of runs and pick important wickets. Another major concern was their injury setbacks with the likes of Ayush Mhatre and Khaleel Ahmed being ruled out of the season in the initial games of the tournament.

The decision from the management to scout a younger squad has been a futuristic decision and the result could be evident in the near future. The fans will need to stay patient as CSK are on track to get back to their absolute best and champion sides always have a way back to get to where they belong.