Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin feels that after Ayush Mhatre’s stunning cameo set the tone for the Chennai Super Kings’ IPL opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad lost a fantastic chance to get back on track.
In Hyderabad on Saturday, SRH defeated CSK by 10 runs. SRH held CSK to 184/8 after scoring 194/9 after quick half-centuries from Heinrich Klaasen and Abhishek Sharma.
Eshan Malinga’s tight bowling (3/29 in 4 overs) caused CSK’s chase to fall short despite a 13-ball 30 from Mhatre.
“It was the best chance for him to score runs. He didn’t need to take risks or score at a fast pace because of the way Ayush Mhatre started. They were running away with the powerplay. It was right there for Ruturaj to take some time, score some runs, and come back into form.
“After Ayush Mhatre’s wicket, Ruturaj got a very good ball; it’s not easy to beat him on the pull. I just feel he is under immense pressure, and his mind appears to be a bit cluttered,” PTI quoted Ashwin as saying on JioHotstar.
With just 82 runs in his first six games of the 2026 season, Ruturaj is currently going through one of his most trying times in the IPL. He has only averaged 13.67 with a strike rate of 112.33 due to his bad form.
Although Praful Hinge, who began his IPL career with a historic three-wicket opening over, gave up a lot of runs in his second game, bowling coach Varun Aaron was encouraging of his new pacer and referred to him as a long-term prospect, while Malinga excelled with the ball for SRH. Additionally, Aaron praised Malinga’s performance.
“Eshan Malinga is a very underrated bowler. Since the start of the campaign, he has bowled very well. Especially when the ball reverses, he becomes even more effective towards the death overs.
“He can bowl at around 145 km/h, has a sharp bouncer, and can nail the perfect yorker. He is a pure T20 bowler with all-round ability. I believe he can take the new ball as well, not just for us going forward, but even for Sri Lanka.”
Regarding Praful going through two extremes in two games, Aaron stated, “We have been watching the IPL for so many years, that is the league in a nutshell. You can take three wickets in the first over, like Praful Hinge did in his first game, and on another day, you can go for 15 runs in an over. So, it’s a good learning for him.
“He has witnessed the two extremes in just two games. You might not have bowled well in your first three overs, but you are still able to execute yorkers under pressure and make a comeback in last over, that’s character. I think Praful Hinge is in there for the long run.”
CSK’s chances of making it to the IPL playoffs depend heavily on Gaikwad’s performance. He is under increasing strain since CSK needs its captain to play consistently. For Gaikwad to properly lead his team, he must rapidly establish his rhythm.
