‘Ruturaj Gaikwad under immense pressure, his mind appears bit cluttered’:R Ashwin decodes CSK’s woes, as skipper continues to underperform

After Chennai Super Kings (CSK) suffered a narrow 10-run defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Southern Derby, veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin spoke about the pressure on captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. He admitted that the young skipper is currently under a lot of pressure due to the team’s poor run. On the other hand, SRH bowling coach Varun Aaron praised young bowler Eshan Malinga for his impressive performance. Cheteshwar Pujara also appreciated David Miller for his match-winning contribution for Delhi Capitals (DC) against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). This win marked SRH’s third victory of the season, while CSK continued to struggle, registering their fourth loss in six matches. The result has added to CSK’s worries as they try to find consistency in the ongoing IPL 2026 season. Earlier in the day, Delhi Capitals defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six wickets in the 26th match. Chasing a target of 176, Tristan Stubbs played a brilliant unbeaten knock of 60, while KL Rahul contributed with 57 runs. David Miller finished the game in style, hitting two sixes and a boundary in the final over to seal a thrilling win for Delhi. ‘Ruturaj Gaikwad is under immense pressure’ – Ravichandran Ashwin Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Google Search AI Mode Match Centre Live’, JioStar expert Ravichandran Ashwin reckoned that CSK Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad seems to be under pressure. He said, “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,” he concluded. Varun Aaron heaped praise Eshan Malinga’s performance SRH bowling coach, Varun Aaron has shared his insights on Eshan Malinga’s on-field brilliance against the five-time champion. He said, “Eshan Malinga is a very underrated bowler. Since the start of the campaign, he has bowled very well. He bowled well last season too. 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,” he further added. Cheteshwar Pujara reckons ‘Killer-Miller’ show against Bengaluru While speaking to the Jiostar, Test maestro Cheteshwar Pujara hails David Miller’s powerful knock against RCB at Chinnaswamy Stadium. He said, “DC were under pressure, the first six against Shepherd changed everything. When you need a big over at the end, that first six is very important, and things became a little easier for him after that. David Miller would have been under pressure, having not been able to cross the finish line in one of the earlier games, even though he had taken them very close.” “So, doubts can creep into your mind, but he is such an experienced batter, in good form, and Tristan Stubbs was also there. They had the confidence of scoring those runs in the final over because they knew RCB would have to bowl their sixth bowler at the end. They were waiting for it, and eventually finished the game,” he concluded further.