CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has stressed his need for a calm and supportive leadership style as the team embarks on a new era in IPL 2026. With stalwarts like MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina off the setup,,the franchise has put its faith on a younger set of players.

CSK gave debuts to several new players, including Kartik Sharma, who was extremely expensive in the auction, in their opening match The fresh squad came with a lot of promise but unfortunately, they could do nothing about it against the Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati in tough conditions to bat. Gaikwad is not overtly worried by the early setback and remains hopeful.

Young players often struggle to cope with the pressure of a tournament like the IPL where, he said, expectations from fans, media and team management are high. Instead of putting them under too much pressure, he believes in allowing the team to play their natural game and learn from experience. Making mistakes is part of the process to grow and should not be viewed as negatively, he said.

Referring to their upcoming home match in Chennai, Gaikwad said there could be variances depending on the pitch conditions and causes like dew and moisture. He added he was confident the squad would cope, saying there was enough depth in the team to respond to varying situations. With CSK wealth of matches remaining, the focus will be on peaking and blooding their youngsters for long-term gain.