Chennai, April 15 -- Despite Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) recent return to winning ways after two straight wins in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad is enduring a worrying lean patch with the bat, raising concerns for the five-time champions.

Gaikwad has endured a difficult start to the IPL 2026 season, managing just 63 runs in five innings at an average of 12.60 and a strike rate of 105.0, with scores of 6, 28, 7, 15 and 7, indicating that he is still searching for rhythm at the top of the order.

Last year, Gaikwad endured a truncated Indian Premier League 2025 campaign due to an elbow injury, managing 122 runs from five matches, including a top score of 63 at a strike rate of 150.62, before being ruled out ea...