![\"IPL](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-130393042,imgsize-175508,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/csk39s-roar-2026.jpg\" "\\"")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\nChennai Super Kings<\/a> have had a difficult beginning to their Indian Premier League<\/a> 2026 campaign, managing just two wins from their first six matches and slipping to seventh on the points table.Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad<\/a> has faced growing criticism, not only for the team\u2019s results but also for his own struggles with the bat. Across six innings, he has scored only 82 runs at an average of 13.67 and a strike rate of 112.33, numbers that reflect his dip in form. <\/p>\n Watch<\/span><\/p>\n Stephen Fleming on CSK\u2019s revamp, bowling pressure & impact player rule <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n However, former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar believes the responsibility cannot rest solely on the young skipper. Speaking on Sportstar\u2019s Insight Edge podcast, he pointed towards the decision-makers behind the scenes.\u201cThis blame, I\u2019m going to put at the doorstep of the owners and people who make the big decisions. Because Gaikwad, before he was captain, was phenomenal at the top of the order,\u201d Manjrekar said.He also suggested that the constant spotlight around MS Dhoni has complicated matters for Gaikwad.\u201cAnd then that thing with M.S Dhoni, whether he\u2019s going to be playing, whether he\u2019s going to be captain, they handled that very badly. And this is where you see the sycophancy of Indian culture that has seeped into cricket as well. I mean, there isn\u2019t just a fan following of Dhoni, there is sycophancy around it,\u201d he added.Manjrekar backed his point by recalling a past moment involving Dhoni that drew a strong reaction from fans.\u201cThere was [this] one instance of Dhoni trying to put his bat into the crease, and it was a very close call. And I said, well, he is clearly short of the crease, and it should be run out. They [fans] got angry with me for saying that because it was anti-Dhoni. So somewhere they lost sight of the whole picture.\u201dDhoni, meanwhile, has not played any part in IPL 2026 so far after sustaining a calf strain ahead of the season.When asked whether his return could ease the pressure on Gaikwad, Manjrekar appeared uncertain, raising questions about how the veteran would fit into the current setup.\u201cMaybe, but then you have to play Dhoni on the field. And how do you do that? I mean, increasingly, he\u2019s finding it tough to deliver. So it was a bit of a joke when he used to come down the order and just play three or four balls. The coverage would hype that up as well \u2013 \u2018What an innings.\u2019 And it lasted four balls.\u201cSo that\u2019s not feasible anymore, and it was never going to be a long-term thing. So I can\u2019t pretend to know how Ruturaj felt when M.S. was on the field, but not captaining, as opposed to M.S. not being there and he being solely in charge,\u201d he said.The former cricketer also broadened the discussion, comparing CSK\u2019s approach with that of Mumbai Indians, suggesting both franchises can be overly attached to established stars.\u201cCSK and Mumbai Indians are slightly guilty of being emotionally connected and invested in the big-name, big-brand players a bit too much. CSK even more so with Dhoni. This means that you\u2019re not getting people who are in their prime. It\u2019s like living in the past a little bit. It\u2019s just about getting guys who are in their prime in T20 cricket. It\u2019s such a modern-day format, so it\u2019s best to be current with everything that you do with your team,\u201d Manjrekar added.<\/div>\n