CSK’s winless IPL: Out of form Ruturaj Gaikwad, injury to Deepak Chahar add to woes

Three defeats on the spin attest a poor start. But Chennai Super Kings are too successful a franchise to hit the panic button so early into this Indian Premier League season. There have been a few injury concerns and Ruturaj Gaikwad’s off-form to deal with.
News from the treatment room is positive now, with Chris Jordan fit and Adam Milne is expected to be available for the next game. Deepak Chahar’s recovery, though, is still a few weeks away. As for Gaikwad, he has the full backing of the team management.

2⃣ more points in the bag for @PunjabKingsIPL! 👌 👌
A fantastic performance from the @mayankcricket-led unit as they beat #CSK 5⃣4⃣ runs to seal their second win of the #TATAIPL 2022. 👏 👏 #CSKvPBKS
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/ZgMGLamhfU pic.twitter.com/TU4lEoVG7D
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 3, 2022
Gaikwad’s form
On Sunday, after the opener perished for 1 against Punjab Kings, Sunil Gavaskar commented on air that maybe, the youngster has been trying to live up to his reputation and thus putting extra pressure on himself. Gaikwad was the Orange Cup holder in the last year’s IPL, topping the scoring charts with 635 runs. He has scored 0, 1 and 1 in the first three games this term. CSK have suffered top-order collapses in two of those matches and Gaikwad’s poor form is certainly a reason for the slip.
Ruturaj Gaikwad will look to regain his form. (Twitter/Chennai Super Kings)
The CSK management, however, is looking at it from a different perspective – his lack of game time in the lead-up to the IPL. The 25-year-old sustained a wr injury during an Indian team practice session and was ruled out of the home T20I series against Sri Lanka. He didn’t have the right preparation, coming into the IPL. There’s a feeling that Gaikwad needs some time to get into the groove.

“We need to give him (Gaikwad) confidence. We all know he is a very good player. I’m sure he will come good,” CSK captain Ravindra Jadeja said after the game against Punjab.
CSK chief executive Kasi Viswanathan echoed the skipper’s comment. “He is a very confident player. He will come good,” Viswanathan told The Indian Express.
Chahar’s case
CSK spent a staggering Rs 14 crore to re-sign the allrounder. But Chahar’s right quadriceps injury, suffered during the final T20I against the West Indies in Kolkata, was a big blow for his IPL franchise. His absence has deprived CSK of a Powerplay special bowler and a big-hitting option down the order. In his absence, the team is trying to make do with uncapped bowlers like Mukesh Choudhary and Tushar Deshpande. Both, however, have failed to make an impression. Shivam Dube has been contributing with the bat, but his 25-run over cost CSK the game against Lucknow Super Giants.
Deepak Chahar’s absence has deprived CSK of a Powerplay special bowler. (File)
CSK are unsure about Chahar’s return date, for they haven’t heard anything from the National Cricket Academy yet, where the player is doing his rehab. “We haven’t had reports from the NCA yet. We are hoping that next week we will get a report about Deepak Chahar. Once the NCA confirms his availability, then we will get an idea about when he could be available,” Viswanathan told this paper.
Other injury issues
Milne played the first game and picked up a niggle. Jordan was hospitalized after he had fever and tonsillitis. Without them, CSK’s bowling attack was seriously depleted, especially against Lucknow, a game they lost six wickets with three balls remaining even after posting 210/7.

“We had our share of injuries and couldn’t field our best XI. But injuries are part and parcel of the game, so we will have to see how we can bounce back,” Viswanathan said.
Jadeja’s captaincy
As expected, he is relying heavily on his predecessor, MS Dhoni. But Jadeja was criticised for giving the ball to Dube in the penultimate over against Lucknow, while he himself had bowled only two overs. Then again, as CSK head coach Stephen Fleming said after the match, heavy dew had taken the spinners out of the equation.
CSK skipper Ravindra Jadeja celebrates a wicket against Punjab Kings on Sunday. (IPL | PTI)
This year is Jadeja’s bedding-in period as captain and he is learning on the job. Like Viswanathan said, just three games are no yardsticks to judge a new skipper. That said, it is Dhoni taking the majority of the decisions in the middle, especially the bowling changes.

Mood in the camp
With so many experienced players and strong characters in the dressing-room, CSK aren’t going to be ruffled three straight defeats. Robin Uthappa’s tweet post-game on Sunday captured the team’s resolve. “Not our day, but time to keep working hard and come back stronger,” tweeted the senior batsman.
Bouncing back from a slow start is not new in the IPL. Mumbai Indians, the five-time IPL champions, are traditionally slow starters. Last year, Kolkata Knight Riders reached the final after losing four of their first five matches. CSK have always thrived on Dhoni’s template of following the process. “We always try to follow the process. And we are confident that we will come back,” Viswanathan said.