chennai super kings They had a rough start indian premier league The 2026 season saw just two wins in the first six games and a slip to seventh in the standings. team leader Ruturaj Gaikwad He’s faced growing criticism not just for the team’s results but for his own struggles with the bat. In six innings, he scored just 82 runs at an average of 13.67 and a strike rate of 112.33, figures that reflected his decline in form. However, the former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar Believe that the responsibility cannot only be borne by the young captain. Speaking on Sportstar’s Insight Edge podcast, he pointed to the decision-makers behind the scenes. “I put the blame on the owners and the people who make the big decisions. Because Gaikwad performed well in the organization before he became captain,” Manjrekar said. He also suggested that the continued spotlight around MS Dhoni For Gaikwad, things are complicated. “Then the MS thing Dhoniwhether he was going to play or not, whether he was going to be captain or not, they handled it very badly. Here you can see the sycophancy of Indian culture seeping into cricket as well. I mean, Dhoni not only has a fan following but there is adulation,” he added. Manjrekar backed up his point by recalling past moments related to Dhoni, which evoked strong reactions from fans. “have [this] One instance where Dhoni tried to get his bat into the crease and that was a very close chance. I said, well, he’s clearly missing the crease and should use it. them [fans] I get angry for saying this because it is anti-Dhoni. So somewhere they lost the whole picture. “ Dhoni, meanwhile, has not played any match in IPL 2026 so far after suffering a calf strain before the season. Asked whether his return would take the pressure off Gaikwad, Manjrekar sounded unsure and raised questions about how the veteran would fit into the current set-up. “Maybe, but you have to play Dhoni on the field. How do you do that? I mean, he was increasingly finding it difficult to bowl. So when he used to bowl just three or four balls in order, it was a bit of a joke. Reports would be hyping it up – ‘What an innings.’ ” It lasted four balls. “So this is no longer viable and will never be a long-term thing. So I can’t pretend to know how Ruturaj felt when MS was on the field but not captain than when MS was not there and he was solely responsible,” he said. The former cricketer also widened the discussion by comparing CSK’s approach to that of Mumbai Indians, suggesting that both franchises may be over-reliant on big-name stars. “CSK and Mumbai Indians are a bit guilty of being emotionally connected and investing too much in big names, big-name players. CSK is even more so with Dhoni. It means you don’t get people who are at their peak. It’s a bit like living in the past. It’s just about getting people who are at their peak in T20 cricket. It’s a modern format, so it’s better to move with the times and be in sync with everything you do as a team,” Manjrekar added.
