GT vs CSK: Ruturaj Gaikwad has been in the centre of all the attention for the past few weeks due to his poor form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The right-handed batter has been pretty poor with the bat in hand. As the Chennai Super Kings crashed out of the race to the IPL 2026 playoffs, Gaikwad’s misery did not end. The IPL fined the 29-year-old and his team for maintaining a slow over rate at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Gaikwad was fined ₹24 lakhs while the rest of the playing XI and the impact player were fined 25% of the match fee or ₹6 lakhs, whichever was lesser.
This was the second time in IPL 2026, when Ruturaj Gaikwad’s CSK maintained a slow over rate. The current guidelines of the IPL governing body state that a second offence within a season would result in the maximum penalty of ₹24 lakhs, and the rest of the team too facing fine and penalties.
GT vs CSK: Chennai Super Kings crash out of IPL 2026 playoffs race
Chennai Super Kings were soundly defeated by the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Having won the toss, CSK sent the hosts in to bat first. The five-time champions conceded 230 runs in the first innings owing to a poor bowling effort and some incredible batting by Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, and Jos Buttler. Meanwhile, in the second innings, there was a collapse of the CSK batting order thanks to Mohammed Siraj taking a three-wicket haul in the power play. The visitors lost by 89 runs.
Ruturaj Gaikwad and CSK team fined for slow over rate
Ruturaj Gaikwad, the captain of CSK, was subject to additional punishment by the BCCI after the five-time winners were seen to have maintained a slow over-rate at the Narendra Modi Stadium. This was CSK’s second violation of the over-rate regulations this season. Gaikwad was thus fined Rs 24 lakh, while the other members of the team, including Impact Player Kartik Sharma, were fined Rs 6 lakh or 25% of their respective match fees, whichever was less.
Chennai Super Kings: Trouble for Ruturaj Gaikwad as CSK captain?
It has been three years since Ruturaj Gaikwad was named the CSK captain. However, in those three years, the Chennai Super Kings have not qualified for the IPL 2026 playoffs. To put this into perspective, CSK qualified for the playoffs in all but two occasions in 13 seasons. Additionally, the lack of results and poor form with the bat mean that Ruturaj is now facing the pressure of possibly being replaced. Before the IPL 2026 season began, CSK made a huge trade deal which saw Sanju Samson join the five-time champions from the Rajasthan Royals. Samson emerges as a potential captain who could replace Ruturaj Gaikwad as the CSK captain.
Pragun is a passionate cricket follower and writer who deeply loves the game. Having completed his education with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has an experience of almost two years in diverse fields. He is known for his statistical and analytical articles. Pragun tries to bring life to his articles by adding a layer of enthusiasm from the perspective of a hardcore fan. Apart from writing cricket articles, he sometimes appears on YouTube videos on a friend’s podcast.
