Ruturaj Gaikwad in action for CSK [Source: AFP]In IPL 2026, the joint-most successful franchise, Chennai Super Kings, failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third consecutive season. In a campaign hampered by injuries, one of the most concerning things from their perspective was captain Ruturaj Gaikwad’s form.Usually considered a bankable top-order batter, Gaikwad failed to get the volume of runs and looked out of sorts with his slow approach. There is no word on it, but this might also have been detrimental for his captaincy, as he looked out of ideas in some matches, when the team faced drubbings. Looking at his performances, T20 World Cup-winning captain Aaron Finch has advised the Super Kings to move on from him and strategise the auction around buying him back. Aaron Finch calls for Ruturaj Gaikwad’s release in the auction Reviewing the season gone by ahead of the final day of the league phase, in conversation with ESPNcricinfo, Australia’s white-ball legend Aaron Finch discussed the retentions of some high-profile names. This included IPL 2026 underperformers and some of the league’s highest-paid players. As the discussion moved to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Finch asked CSK to release the captain, who is on an INR 18 crore contract and try to retain him at a lower price in IPL 2027 mini-auction. “I think release [him] because you would be able to buy him back cheaper than that,” said Finch. Another CSK player in the list was their INR 14 crore buy, Prashant Veer, who Finch believes should be retained. Interestingly, Finch felt that releasing another high-profile name, Rishabh Pant, should be released into the auction alongside Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. Also Read: CSK Captaincy Candidates If Ruturaj Gaikwad Is Removed After IPL 2026Ruturaj Gaikwad’s forgettable IPL 2026 Playing his third season as the captain, Gaikwad faced higher expectations than ever before, especially in the absence of MS Dhoni, who was nursing an injury throughout the season. Additionally, the number of top-order options, including the star signing Sanju Samson, it was expected that Ruturaj Gaikwad could have a great season with a fresh CSK roster. However, in 14 matches, the CSK opener scored only 337 runs at a concerning strike rate of 123.44 — often building pressure on his partners. There were some innings when he looked in good touch, but on most occasions, his strike rate and approach were unacceptable for modern-day T20 cricket. Some of his bowling changes and tactics were also scrutinised as CSK finished 7th with 12 points in 14 matches. Mayank’s Opinion On whether CSK Should Release Gaikwad In an era where opening batters are dominating from the word go and striking at around 180-200 in the powerplay, Ruturaj Gaikwad has found it tough to mould his game accordingly. Unlike his contemporaries, Gaikwad still plays by settling in before scoring freely. While his acceleration skills are almost second to none, the game has evolved, and the over two seconds that he takes to settle in can prove detrimental to the team. CSK have options like Urvil Patel and Sarfaraz Khan on the bench, who play the game freely from ball 1, while someone like Ayush Mhatre has shown immense promise, but bats at 3. Considering all things, releasing Ruturaj Gaikwad is an option, but CSK has traditionally been a team that backs players, and no player has scored more runs for them than Gaikwad in this decade. He has also won the Orange Cap in 2021 and has a lot of talent and years left in him. Hence, releasing Gaikwad ahead of IPL 2027 should not be something CSK should think about doing. There are teams like KKR, who could be in search of an Indian opener and getting the right-hand batter back could become a problem. Plus, CSK is now a young unit and Gaikwad’s influence and guidance are much needed at this moment. Also Read: Virat Kohli Receives Indirect Dig By Hyderabad Cricket Apex
