The Chennai Super Kings skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, has been on a lean run of form in this season. Gaikwad was dismissed for yet another low score of 7 today. He hasn’t been able to quite get going or find the boundary gaps. Ruturaj Gaikwad is a key batter for the side at the top of the order and they will be reliant on his contributions. His form would be an area of concern for the Chennai Super Kings as they are fighting to make their way back in the tournament.

The game against the Kolkata Knight Riders is their 5th game of the tournament and still there hasn’t been a promising sign from Ruturaj Gaikwad. However, Sanju Samson and Ayush Mhatre have been in decent form and that is what masks the rough patch for the Chennai Super Kings skipper.

Struggles in approach and consistency highlight the need for a reset as CSK skipper searches for form

In the opening game of the Chennai Super Kings against the Rajasthan Royals, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson had walked out to open the batting. The fans were highly anticipating the opening duo as they both were excellent batters and loved by the fans. In the first game, Ruturaj Gaikwad was dismissed for just 6 runs by the England pacer, Jofra Archer. The next game against the Punjab Kings was a high scoring game with CSK scoring 209 runs, but the skipper was dismissed for 28 off 22 balls. In the following games against RCB and DC, his scores were 7 and 15 respectively. So far, Ruturaj Gaikwad has scored 63 runs off 5 innings at a strike rate of 105.

The issue surrounding Ruturaj Gaikwad might be a slightly complex issue regarding his batting approach. The only similarity that exists in all his dismissals up till now is his attacking approach that leads to the wicket. In the first game, he backed away from the stumps to create room and Jofra Archer ended up rattling the stumps. In the next game, he just tries to rush his game by trying to score sixes but ends up playing the wrong shot and mistiming it.

 

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Ruturaj Gaikwad’s natural game style is similar to that of an anchor. He’s got all the shots in the book and once he get’s going, he is an absolute treat to watch. Gaikwad will have to spend some time in the crease and get used to the conditions rather than forcing the modern game upon himself. He seems to be trying too hard to hit the boundaries and should maybe try to move down the order to No.3 and give up his opening spot to Ayush Mhatre.

Another similarity that could be drawn in the playing style could be that to Devdutt Padikkal’s campaign away from RCB in the IPL. Devdutt Padikkal had a similar approach as he tried to move away from the stumps, create room for himself and play unnecessary aggressive shots. But now, if you notice, he is the same technically sound player he is but he is able to play his shots according to the merit of the ball. Ruturaj Gaikwad will need some mentoring to get his mindset straight and play some good cricket.

The Chennai Super Kings skipper is undoubtedly a fine batter with excellent technical skill. This issue is common for batters trying to adapt to the modern game. Ruturaj Gaikwad will be confident that he can hone his skills and make a roaring comeback for the Chennai Super Kings.