Prior to the CSK vs KKR match, Ayush Mhatre had a powerplay strike rate of 180 yet Ruturaj Gaikwad was given the second opening spot ahead of him.
Four failures and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) still chose to stick to their questionable opening tactics. It’s uncertain whether captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and head coach Stephen Fleming looked at the data before deciding who Sanju Samson‘s opening partner will be for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
CSK’s wrong opening partnership
They backed Gaikwad to open ahead of Ayush Mhatre. The 18-year-old was exceptional in the powerplay last season. Yet, it was decided that the CSK captain was the better option. After four matches, the duo combined scored 99 runs in 4 matches.
The number doesn’t sound bad. But, if one just goes one step ahead, one realises that Gaikwad struck at just 102 in the powerplay. In a world where scoring 70 to 80 runs in the powerplay is becoming the norm, the CSK captain was going at a run-a-ball. CSK saw this and still chose to continue with Gaikwad as Samson’s partner.
CSK opening partnerships in IPL 2026
- 14 (12) vs RR
- 14 (12) vs PBKS
- 9 (5) vs RCB
- 62 (38) vs DC
- 25 (14) vs KKR*
Guess what? The move once again backfired. Reports suggest that Mhatre will open against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, with Gaikwad moving down to 3. But that didn’t happen. Once again, it was Samson and Gaikwad.
Samson motored along, striking 3 boundaries in the first over of the match. But Gaikwad struggled once again. He faced 6 balls and scored 7 runs. His powerplay strike rate actually improved, going from 102 to 104.25. And then, Mhatre came into the middle to show how stupid Gaikwad and Fleming’s tactics have been.
Ayush Mhatre’s powerplay masterclass
The 18-year-old came into the middle with 22 balls left in the powerplay. He played 17 of them, scoring 38 runs. He struck 6 fours and 2 sixes. Basically, hitting a boundary every 2 balls. His cameo ended on the last ball of the powerplay, and he walked back to the pavillion with the strike rate of 223.53. Mhatre showed what an opener needs to do in T20 cricket in 2026.
If even this isn’t enough to show Gaikwad and Fleming that they’ve messed up the opening partnership, nothing will. Perhaps CSK does deserve to lose more matches if they can’t utilise the resources they have. Who knows whether the outcome for their 3 loses would’ve been different had Mhatre opened with Samson?
Ruturaj Gaikwad powerplay stats in IPL 2026
| Innings | Runs | Balls | Out | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 49 | 47 | 3 | 16.33 | 104.25 |
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