Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad has come under scrutiny for the team\u2019s struggles, with his own batting form also a concern. In six innings, he has managed only 82 runs.<\/p>\n
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, however, believes the CSK management must also shoulder the blame.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis blame, I\u2019m going to put at the doorstep of the owners and people who make the big decisions. Because Gaikwad, before he was captain, was phenomenal at the top of the order,\u201d said Manjrekar on Sportstar\u2019s Insight Edge podcast<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Manjrekar added that the overwhelming fandom surrounding CSK legend M.S. Dhoni has not helped Gaikwad\u2019s situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then that thing with M.S Dhoni, whether he\u2019s going to be playing, whether he\u2019s going to be captain, they handled that very badly. And this is where you see the sycophancy of Indian culture that has seeped into cricket as well. I mean, there isn\u2019t just a fan following of Dhoni, there is sycophancy around it,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
He also recalled an incident that highlighted the intensity of Dhoni\u2019s fandom.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was [this] one instance of Dhoni trying to put his bat into the crease, and it was a very close call. And I said, well, he is clearly short of the crease, and it should be run out. They [fans] got angry with me for saying that because it was anti-Dhoni. So somewhere they lost sight of the whole picture.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dhoni has not featured for CSK in IPL 2026 after suffering a calf strain in the lead-up to the season.<\/p>\n
When asked if Dhoni\u2019s return could ease Gaikwad\u2019s burden, Manjrekar expressed doubts about how CSK would accommodate him in the XI.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe, but then you have to play Dhoni on the field. And how do you do that? I mean, increasingly, he\u2019s finding it tough to deliver. So it was a bit of a joke when he used to come down the order and just play three or four balls. The coverage would hype that up as well \u2013 \u2018What an innings.\u2019 And it lasted four balls.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo that\u2019s not feasible anymore, and it was never going to be a long-term thing. So I can\u2019t pretend to know how Ruturaj felt when M.S. was on the field, but not captaining, as opposed to M.S. not being there and he being solely in charge,\u201d said Manjrekar.<\/p>\n
Manjrekar also drew parallels between CSK and Mumbai Indians, pointing to an overreliance on big-name players.<\/p>\n
\u201cCSK and Mumbai Indians are slightly guilty of being emotionally connected and invested in the big-name, big-brand players a bit too much. CSK even more so with Dhoni. This means that you\u2019re not getting people who are in their prime. It\u2019s like living in the past a little bit. It\u2019s just about getting guys who are in their prime in T20 cricket. It\u2019s such a modern-day format, so it\u2019s best to be current with everything that you do with your team,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Published on Apr 20, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n