Ruturaj Gaikwad walked into the post-match press conference at Chinnaswamy on Sunday night knowing the questions were coming — and he offered no deflections, no excuses, and no tactical explanations. He simply said: “It’s on me today.”

Three Games, Three Losses, All the Wrong Records

CSK have now lost three matches in a row to start IPL 2026 — and this is only the second time in the franchise’s illustrious 18-season history that they have begun a tournament with three consecutive defeats. More alarmingly, it is Gaikwad’s seventh consecutive loss as CSK captain, stretching back into IPL 2025. Their NRR of -2.517 has them anchored at the bottom of the table.

The five-time champions who won the title twice in three seasons under MS Dhoni’s captaincy look barely recognisable right now.

“It’s On Me” — Gaikwad Does Not Hide

Gaikwad made just 7 off 3 balls on Sunday night — dismissed in the very first over of CSK’s chase of 251, leaving his side in immediate trouble at 30/3. He did not try to dress it up.

“I think, maybe if I would have contributed more top of the order, you never know, we would have chased it down. So definitely it’s on me today.”

It was a frank admission, but it also pointed to the bigger problem — CSK’s top order has collapsed in all three matches, leaving the middle order to fight fires rather than build an innings. Against RCB, the task of hauling 251 on the Chinnaswamy surface was already enormous; losing both openers in the first over made it practically impossible.

Samson and the Form Drought Continue

Gaikwad’s opening partner Sanju Samson is enduring a start to his CSK career that nobody anticipated. The India World Cup star — who was in irresistible form in the T20 World Cup 2026 just weeks ago — has managed 22 runs across three innings: 9, 4, and 9.

Three matches as CSK’s marquee Rs 18-crore signing. Three failures. The combination of Samson and Gaikwad at the top has not clicked once.

Gaikwad has struggled too — his three scores in IPL 2026 read 7, 24 and 7.

The Middle Order Rescued Some Dignity

CSK were 30/3 and effectively done when Sarfaraz Khan arrived. The Mumbai batter played with freedom and authority, making 50 off 25 balls, and Prashant Veer’s 43 off 29 and Jamie Overton’s 37 off 16 gave the total some respectability. CSK finished 207 all out in 19.4 overs. But 251 was always beyond them once the top order went so quickly.

What Now for CSK?

CSK’s next match is a home game against Delhi Capitals at Chepauk on Saturday, April 11. There is hope that MS Dhoni returns for that fixture — Ruturaj confirmed at the toss that Dhoni is “getting back slowly” and “if he’s ready, it’ll be soon.” Chepauk, with its slow, turning surface, would be the ideal conditions to bring him back in.

For now, though, Gaikwad faces a reckoning. He is captain of a five-time champion franchise that is sitting bottom of the table, without a win, and carrying a seven-game losing run that is becoming a conversation in every cricket dressing room in the country.

“I have to look at myself in the mirror and fix things. The team needs me to be at my best.”