Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming expressed confidence in Ruturaj Gaikwad despite his recent batting struggles. Stephen Fleming praised Ruturaj Gaikwad’s captaincy and emphasized that fluctuations in performance are normal in a long tournament. Ruturaj Gaikwad was appointed as the captain of the Chennai-based franchise just a day before the first match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Gaikwad, taking over from MS Dhoni, led the team to consecutive victories in their first two matches of the season. However, the CSK team suffered a 21-run loss in their third match against the Delhi Capitals (DC) in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, March 31st. The CSK skipper misfired with the bat, getting dismissed for just one run off Khaleel Ahmed’s bowling in the first over.

Ruturaj Gaikwad Is Going To Have Ups And Downs – Stephen Fleming

Speaking at the post-match conference, Stephen Fleming expressed confidence in Ruturaj Gaikwad‘s abilities and leadership. He highlighted the team’s support for Gaikwad’s transition and emphasized the roles of MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja in assisting him. “Not concerned about Ruturaj Gaikwad’s batting. He is going to have ups and downs, it’s a long tournament. He wants to get runs every time basically, but no concerns. His captaincy was very good today. The transition and the job are not easy, but he has done a seamlessly. MS is still a big part of the decision-making process. And he along with Jadeja are helping Gaikwad in any way they can,” Fleming said. The 27-year-old opener struggled with the bat in the first three matches. The right-handed batter scored 62 runs across three innings at an average of 20.67 and a disappointing strike rate of 116.98. He scored 46 runs off 36 deliveries against the Gujarat Titans.

We Thought That We Pulled It Back – Stephen Fleming

Stephen Fleming pointed out that the Chennai Super Kings’ defeat was largely due to their subpar performance in the first six overs of each innings. Fleming acknowledged the Delhi Capitals’ effective use of the conditions and praised their bowling. “I think the result is a clear depiction of the teams played tonight, we were a little bit off tonight. We were slow to start, in the first six overs of each innings, we gave too many in the first six we bowled on either side of the wicket. They played well. When we batted, they (DC’s bowling) were very good, created pressure and used conditions very well.”