Ruturaj Gaikwad criticised for tactical error against LSG© AFP
Chennai Super Kings’ 3-game winning run came to an end against bottom-table Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 campaign on Friday, putting their playoff qualification at risk. Punjab Kings’ slip-up had opened the door for CSK to go fourth in the points table, but they couldn’t capitalise on the opportunity. After the game, former Chennai batter Subramaniam Badrinath tore into skipper Rituraj Gaikwad for his ‘tactical blunder’ that played a role in the team’s defeat against Lucknow. Rituraj himself blamed the bowling unit for the below-par show against LSG, after the batters took them to a challenging total of 187/5 on a tricky wicket. Lucknow chased down the total in just 16.4 overs.
“CSK losing because of team selection errors is becoming a pattern this season. Leaving out Akeal Hosein on this track made zero sense. Another game, another missed opportunity,” Badrinath said on X (formerly Twitter).
CSK losing because of team selection errors is becoming a pattern this season. Leaving out Akeal Hosein on this track made zero sense. Another game, another missed opportunity. #LSGvCSK
— S.Badrinath (@s_badrinath) May 15, 2026
Rituraj refused to press the panic button after the defeat and urged his teammates to focus on the next two games, and get the two wins that take the team to the next round.
“I felt there was a bit of something for the fast bowlers. You know, when we batted, we found it difficult to hit it off the hard lengths probably, their bowlers executed it really well. But I think we were looking at 160 or 170 and we ended up getting 180. So I thought, probably nothing much better we could have done from a batting point of view, but I think credit to them. They batted really well and never know if the pitch got better or not, but I think they played some extraordinary shots,” he said.
“Just make sure we come back and improve what are the areas we need to improve and yes, try and adapt and assess the conditions as quickly as possible and it is a simple calculation for us. Win each and every game for however many games we play. So I think nothing simple. I mean, it is simple, nothing complicated. So quite easy here on for us. Nothing to worry about. Just make sure we have a good day. Make it count whoever has a good day and hope that we hope that we turn the things around,” he said on the next two games.
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