Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad is facing criticism following his team's winless start in the IPL 2026 season. After losing to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), former CSK player Ambati Rayudu pointed out that Gaikwad's tactical decisions, particularly during the death overs, did not align with the strategies that MS Dhoni had previously endorsed. CSK's bowlers, including Anshul Kamboj and Jamie Overton, were penalized for bowling wide yorkers, a tactic Rayudu noted was discouraged under Dhoni's leadership. CSK head coach Stephen Fleming also highlighted the pivotal role of Tim David's performance in the latter stages of the match, stating that CSK's inability to take crucial wickets led to a loss of control. Fleming expressed that a target of 210-220 runs was achievable, but the team's late slump affected their overall performance, including batting.