Ravichandran Ashwin has come out strongly in support of Ruturaj Gaikwad following Chennai Super Kings’ disappointing IPL 2026 campaign, urging fans to stop abusing the young captain after the franchise’s playoff exit.CSK were officially eliminated from the tournament after suffering a crushing 89-run defeat against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on May 21. Chennai ended the league stage with six wins and eight defeats, marking their third failure to qualify for the playoffs in the last four seasons, a rare downturn for one of the IPL’s most successful franchises.The season also represented a major transition phase for CSK, especially in the absence of legendary skipper MS Dhoni, who did not feature in a single match during IPL 2026. With Gaikwad leading a young and injury-hit squad, the team struggled to maintain the consistency that once defined the Dhoni era. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin defended Gaikwad against the growing criticism from fans and stressed that poor form can happen to any player.“I will maintain, Ruturaj is a good player, yes. Sometimes, people abuse so much, I don’t know the reason. Ruturaj Gaikwad is not that kind of a player. It can happen to anyone. Time can change for anyone. Take Ishan Kishan, for example. If you remember, Mumbai Indians spent a lot of money to get Ishan Kishan in the auction, but he didn’t do much at the Mumbai Indians. SRH also invested in him, but he is batting well for SRH. So, time changes for everyone, but it doesn’t make any sense to, you know, abuse any players or anything like that,” Ashwin said.Ashwin also reminded fans that the IPL has become significantly more competitive compared to the early years of CSK’s dominance under Dhoni.”Dhoni and CSK have made everyone habituated over the last 18 years that we will win, we will reach the play-offs, it’s that easy. It is not like that now. There are 10 teams now. Every team plays good cricket. Anyone can beat anyone on their day, and Chennai this time won against all the teams below them, who are at the bottom of the table. So, they have some yards to go, but they have a lot of promise in their team,” Ashwin explained.Gaikwad himself endured a difficult IPL 2026 campaign both as batter and captain. Re-acquired by CSK for INR 18 crore ahead of the mega auction, he managed 337 runs in 14 innings at an average of 28.08. His strike rate of 123.44 became a major talking point throughout the season, especially during Chennai’s sluggish Powerplay performances.One of the biggest moments of criticism came during the group-stage clash against Gujarat Titans, where Gaikwad registered the slowest half-century of IPL 2026, reaching his fifty in 49 deliveries.
