'Remember what happened when Jadeja led the side and it didn't end well' - Irfan Pathan alerts Ruturaj Gaikwad about CSK captaincy

Having landed a top-2 finish on the points table in eight of the 15 editions of the Indian Premier League of which the Chennai Super Kings have been a part, coupled with winning the title in their record-equalling fifth IPL triumph in 2023, the management, as well as the franchise's supporters, would've expected CSK to cruise through to yet another playoff. However, that's been far from the reality, with there being an oscillating pattern followed by CSK in terms of their team's results.

In IPL 2024, CSK exhibited a fluctuating performance pattern characterized by alternating wins and losses. The sequence began with a victory, followed by another win, signifying a promising start for the team. However, they then experienced consecutive losses in the subsequent two matches, interrupting their momentum. CSK quickly bounced back by securing two consecutive wins, displaying resilience and determination. Nevertheless, this streak was again broken by two successive losses, showcasing inconsistency in their performance. Their most recent five games followed the same trend, this time a loss backed up by a win. 

Speaking with Star Sports prior to the RCB-CSK showdown, former Indian cricketer, Irfan Pathan, noted that although CSK has a rich legacy of excelling in high-stakes situations, they are currently grappling with several obstacles. CSK's woes encompassed player departures, injury woes, and the monumental change of MS Dhoni relinquishing captaincy since when the ongoing season kickstarted, a position he had held from the outset of the IPL. Pathan also hinted at the fate of Ravindra Jadeja as CSK skipper, referring to CSK's disappointing 2022 IPL campaign where they lost six out of eight games after Jadeja was removed from the leadership role. He suggested that if Ruturaj Gaikwad fails to lead the team to the playoffs this season, he might face a similar situation in the next IPL season.

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“CSK bring in the pedigree of being the team who knows how to win crucial moments. But they have lots of issues at the moment. Injury issues, new captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is no longer leading them. You might have seen him occasionally setting the field, but he is not the captain. You might have remembered what happened when [Ravindra] Jadeja led the side and it didn't end well, the same can happen again. CSK fans will hope that they march ahead of these issues and win the crucial two points,” Pathan said.

RCB has the momentum, a solid momentum: Pathan

Moving forward, Pathan remarked that while the virtual knockout wouldn't be an easy task and presented a completely different challenge, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru had the advantage following their remarkable turnaround in the latter half of the season, securing five consecutive victories and gaining momentum from recent positive results. He also suggested that if RCB wins the upcoming match and secures a playoff berth, they could pose a significant threat to other teams in the knockout stage.

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“Nothing is easy. It's not going to be easy for both teams. RCB has the momentum, a solid momentum. And if they win, there is no more dangerous side than the one having strong momentum,” added Pathan.