On the eve of the season, Ruturaj Gaikwad was handed one of the most challenging jobs in the IPL after being named captain of the Chennai Super Kings. No team is built around the aura of one player like CSK is with its former leader M.S. Dhoni and it is not easy to fill his shoes.
The last time Super Kings attempted to move forward by appointing Ravindra Jadeja as captain in 2022, the experiment ended in disappointment after just eight games. This time, in Ruturaj, the team found a young player with leadership experience and subtly groomed him for the job over two years.
Unlike Jadeja, the 27-year-old had a smoother start to his captaincy stint with two wins at home upfront. But, he has now been handed a reality check with back-to-back losses in the last two matches on the road. After the short honeymoon period, Ruturaj faces his first real test and needs to find a way to arrest the slide quickly.
