Chennai

Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has backed Chennai Super Kings skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, stressing that leadership in a high-pressure tournament like the IPL comes with a heavy burden that is often underestimated.

He also noted that CSK are currently undergoing a transition phase following the end of the MS Dhoni captaincy era, with Ruturaj stepping into the role in 2024. He urged patience from all stakeholders -- including fans -- emphasising that building a new leadership core in a successful franchise takes time.

"The added responsibility of captaincy seems to have affected Ruturaj Gaikwad's batting. T20 cricket is already demanding, and carrying the burden of leadership alongside expectations from a franchise like CSK can have a significant impact on a player," Ashwin, who had two separate stints with CSK spanning a total of nine years -- first from 2008 to 2015 and later returning in 2025 before announcing his retirement in August -- told JioHotstar.

CSK suffered a five-wicket defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday, a result that has left their playoff hopes hanging by a thread. With just one league match remaining, CSK now face an uphill battle and will need other results to fall in their favour to stay in contention for qualification.

"Chennai Super Kings are clearly in a transition phase in the post-Dhoni era, and it's important for everyone around the franchise, fans, stakeholders, and the team itself, to recognise that rebuilding takes time.

"The standards and expectations associated with CSK are incredibly high because of their legacy, but this group needs space and patience as they evolve," added Ashwin, who shared a long association with Dhoni during his stay with the joint successful team in the IPL.

Former Australia captain Aaron Finch urged restraint in judging Ruturaj's leadership, noting that the demands of captaincy naturally add pressure on any player. He emphasised that the focus, for now, should be on the CSK skipper rediscovering his batting form.

"It's important not to judge a player or a captain based on just one season because T20 cricket can be extremely demanding and unpredictable. From a captaincy perspective, Ruturaj Gaikwad has still led the side well, especially with his decisions and composure on the field.

"At times, form and leadership pressure can overlap, but for him it now comes down to rediscovering his batting rhythm and getting back to scoring consistently. The quality is still there, and sometimes in T20 cricket, phases like these can change very quickly," added Finch.

With SRH sealing a playoff spot, their bowling coach Varun Aaron lauded the efforts of pacers Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain, saying their hunger to learn had stood out.

"A lot of credit goes to Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain because both of them are extremely eager to learn and have set their sights firmly on playing for India. When young players have that kind of ambition, the dedication and hard work naturally follow.

"Both of them put in tremendous effort not just during the tournament, but even in the build-up to the IPL. Our preparations with them actually began almost two months before the season, where we organised specialised camps and worked closely on different aspects of their bowling. The most impressive thing was how receptive they were to learn," said Aaron.

On middle-order batter Heinrich Klaasen's standout season, Aaron highlighted his all-round impact with the bat, noting that his ability to accelerate scoring while also rotating the strike effectively has been a key feature of his performances.

Klaasen has amassed 555 runs in 13 matches this season, underlining his consistency and influence in the middle order.

"One area where we struggled last season was closing out games when the top order didn't fully deliver, but this year Heinrich Klaasen has taken on that responsibility brilliantly.

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"What makes him special is how effortlessly he can shift gears, from rotating strike at run-a-ball to suddenly accelerating at eight or nine runs an over. That transition is extremely difficult, but Klaasen makes it look very natural," Aaron said.

"The innings he played in this game (vs CSK) was another example of his quality, especially some of the shots against spin, where he created room and struck boundaries off the back foot with remarkable ease," he added.