Fans slam Gaikwad for poor performance [Source: AP]Ever since his debut for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, Ruturaj Gaikwad has been one of the most consistent players. Time and again, he has proven his worth by scoring truckloads of runs and helping CSK win two IPL titles. Just like every other season, fans had high expectations from him ahead of the IPL 2026.However, four matches into the new IPL season, Gaikwad has yet to deliver for the franchise. While other openers have reinvented themselves and have taken the game to the next level, Gaikwad is stuck in the past, and his slow and steady approach has hampered his batting in 2026.Gaikwad's horrendous IPL 2026 journey continues vs DCAgainst Delhi Capitals, CSK fans had once again pinned their hopes on Gaikwad, but he continued the trend and failed to deliver.On a wicket where Sanju Samson dominated the proceedings and took down the Delhi attack with ease, Gaikwad, it seems, was batting on a different track as he couldn’t rotate the strike, and the power game was once again missing from his arsenal.While his opening partner, Samson, reached the fifty-run mark, Gaikwad struggled for even a single run. His painstaking knock was ended by Axar Patel as the dry run continues in IPL 2026.The DC captain bowled an arm ball as Gaikwad went for a power shot, but he miscued his attempted pull shot. Pathum Nissanka was standing at deep mid-wicket as the Sri Lankan cricketer took a smart catch to end Gaikwad’s scratchy knock.Also Read: Ruturaj Gaikwad Issues Fresh Update On MS Dhoni’s IPL FutureGaikwad comes under scrutiny as fans blast CSK captain on social mediaDespite his poor form, the CSK fans had a hope that the Maharashtra batter would get back amongst the run-scorers, but he broke their hearts and played a horrendous knock. The skipper of the side scored 15 off 18, and the fans had enough as they blasted the right-handed batter for playing a slow brand of cricket.Rajiv @Rajiv1841 Ruturaj Gaikwad is on 9 runs off 13 balls in fuckin powerplay with absolute zero intention to clear the boundary ropes. This is outrageous batting & he is the one bringing CSK down!! Archer @poserarcher Watched sooryavanshi, abhishek, Head, Prabhsimran, Priyansh arya as an openers and now I m watching Ruturaj Gaikwad what a downfall. I wish Mhatre had opened ‘ @viratkohli_un CSK is not going to win a single match until they kick out the fraud Ruturaj Gaikwad from the team. Heisenberg ☢ @internetumpire Rutu making my blood boil. He's literally not even trying to hit. If you wanna play as an anchor don't open and waste the powerplay like this. Send Ayush up and drop down to 3 and do whatever. This is so annoying to watch. ; @171off90 I'm so done with Ruturaj, man. What does he think he is. Nothing can make up for wasting 9 deliveries in the powerplay. Even Kohli upgraded his batting approach mid way through 2024. Shah @Shahhoon1 Ruturaj Gaikwad is Babar Azam of IPL Fans compare Gaikwad with Babar- Reason revealedA lot of fans on social media have compared Gaikwad’s batting with that of Pakistan cricketer Babar Azam. Babar, the former captain of the side, has been one of Pakistan’s best batters in the last decade, but somehow, he has never reinvented himself in T20s.He is the highest run-getter in T20Is, but the strike rate has been questionable (128). Just like Gaikwad, Babar opens the batting, and he plays a slow brand of cricket that takes the momentum away from his side. Similarly, Gaikwad has the same pattern.His slow and sluggish approach put pressure on Samson, and this has often affected CSK’s gameplan.Also Read: Bangladesh ODI Squad Vs New Zealand Announced; Mustafizur Rahman's PSL Journey HaltedGaikwad's painstaking IPL 2026 at a glanceThis season, the CSK captain has played four matches, and his numbers have been shambolic, considering that he is playing at his favourite spot (opening). In four innings, the Chennai Super Kings captain has amassed just 56 runs, with an average of 13.Moreover, he has scored 56 runs in 54 balls, with a strike rate of just 103.7. While other IPL openers have taken their game to another level and have been striking at 200, the CSK star is still playing with an outdated approach, and the numbers certainly reflect it.Follow CSK Vs DC live updates to witness Sanju Samson's masterclass
