Follow UsAcross four innings, Ruturaj Gaikwad has predominantly played at No.3, which has raised many questions about his batting in the middle order. While the five-time IPL winning franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have dodged the bullet, their head coach Stephen Fleming has admitted that they will have to consider the option of Gaikwad returning as an opener in the aftermath of their loss against Delhi Capital on April 5.
“The question of Ruturaj [Gaikwad] going back to open will be one we will keep looking at,” Fleming said during the post-match press conference.
“We felt our batting in the powerplays was below par, and going too hard was probably not the way, particularly on a wicket that was a little bit tricky. We were looking to settle that with guys who are in good form and have done it before.”
Yet again, in this season, CSK have struggled massively while chasing, as they have won just once while chasing a score over 180, and was yet again put under the pump on April 5 (Saturday). In the aftermath of that 25-run loss, Fleming insisted that CSK need to have one or two players in form inside the top four.
“We are looking to find the formula that will get us over the line. We are certainly well aware of the chasing stat. We are focusing, bowling-wise, to restrict teams below that, but we do need to be better with the bat. We need to have one or two players in form, predominantly in the top three or four,” he said.
Not just that, Fleming also reckoned that the franchise haven’t been able to have the right entry point for the batters.
“You look at the teams that are doing well and you see that the majority of runs are getting scored through the top three or top four. A little bit more run production there allows the power hitters to come at the right spots. We haven’t been able to introduce players at the right time. Six to 15 to 20-run losses are annoying.”
This isn’t the first time that CSK’s squad boasts of veteran players, and Fleming pointed out that he’s a big fan of ‘experience’.
“I am a fan of experience. Big players, traditionally, will stand up during the tournament. When they do, the younger players can play the cameos. We back experience, and over the years, it has stood us in good stead. It’s not like we don’t like young players, but we like consistency and the ability to problem-solve. More experienced players tend to be able to do that more often.”
CSK find themselves loitering in the bottom of the table, with three losses in four games.