After 7th successive loss as CSK captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad takes the blame

Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad took full responsibility after his side slumped to a heavy defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday, a result that extended his run to seven successive losses as captain.

Chennai Super Kings remained in the contest for much of the innings but lost control at the death, conceding 97 runs in the final five overs as Royal Challengers Bengaluru piled up 250 for 3. Tim David, Rajat Patidar and Devdutt Padikkal led the charge with aggressive knocks, before RCB's bowlers kept things tight to seal a 43-run win over CSK on Sunday.

"If I had contributed more, maybe it could have been different. It was definitely on me today," Gaikwad said after the match.

The defeat places Gaikwad alongside Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh on an unwanted list of Indian captains with seven straight IPL losses. Kohli faced a similar run across the 2018 and 2019 seasons with RCB, while Yuvraj experienced it during his tenure with Pune Warriors India in 2013. The longest such streaks among Indian captains remain with Sourav Ganguly and Rohit Sharma.

Gaikwad's losing run began in IPL 2025 with a defeat to RCB in Chennai and has continued into a challenging start to the 2026 season, with CSK losing their first three matches.

CSK had kept the game under control for a long period. Jamie Overton dismissed Devdutt Padikkal for a 29-ball 50 early in the 15th over, leaving RCB at 151 for 3. From there, the match shifted sharply.

Tim David and Rajat Patidar took charge in the final overs, adding an unbeaten 99-run partnership in 31 balls. David struck 70 off 25 deliveries, while Patidar remained 48



not out off 19, pushing RCB well beyond CSK's reach.

A crucial moment came in the 18th over when Anshul Kamboj thought he had dismissed David, only for the delivery to be called a no-ball. The reprieve proved costly as David capitalised on the opportunity.

"Anshul almost got him. Unfortunate it was a no-ball, but after that he just kept hitting. Credit to him," Gaikwad said.

He also noted a missed chance earlier when Virat Kohli was dropped, adding that CSK were still in control until the middle overs.

"If we had taken that early chance of Virat, maybe the momentum comes to us. We still had the game till the 13th or 14th over, but that's where it shifted," he added.

The chase never gained momentum. Gaikwad and Sanju Samson fell early, leaving CSK at 10 for 2 in the powerplay. The slide continued with the side reduced to 108 for 6 by the halfway stage.

Some resistance came from the lower order. Sarfaraz Khan struck a brisk half-century, while Prashant Veer made 43 and Overton added 37. Shivam Dube also contributed as CSK pushed past 200, a recovery that appeared unlikely earlier.

Gaikwad admitted surprise at the fightback but said a stronger top-order contribution might have made a difference.

"Even I was surprised we got past 200. Good effort from Sarfaraz, Prashant, Jamie, even Shivam. Maybe if I had done more at the top, you never know, we could have chased it down," he said.

With three defeats to open the season and an extended losing streak dating back to last year, CSK face early pressure. Their captain has taken responsibility as the team looks to halt the slide.