Did Ruturaj Gaikwad injure himself ahead of their next IPL 2026 match? The question has started to be raised as a couple of photos shared by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) from their official social media platforms caught cricket fans’ eyes.
The photos shared by the franchise itself captured a net practice session of the team, where the netizens can see the moment when Ruturaj Gaikwad was executing a cover drive in the nets. Former captain and CSK legend MS Dhoni was behind him when Gaikwad was playing the shot. Dhoni’s eyes were fixed on the batter.
Bruise on Ruturaj Gaikwad’s right arm
Meanwhile, there is something unusual in one of the photos. The usual reason is a dark spot on Ruturaj Gaikwad’s right hand. The bluish, purple, and blackish spot appears like a bruise, which can only happen when something hits that spot with severe intensity. A bruise can be painful, but despite the concerns, the post shows that the top order batter did not opt to stop the practice for the next match in the ongoing Indian Premier League.
Upgrading new drives! 🚀💥#WhistlePodu #Yellove pic.twitter.com/NzmXrB92h4
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 30, 2026
Chennai Super Kings’ next match will be tomorrow on their home ground, MA Chidambaram Stadium, against the Mumbai Indians. The match will be a must-win game for both of the teams, as both sides are now in the bottom half of the IPL 2026 points table.
A must-win match for CSK against the Mumbai Indians
As they have already lost a good number of games, CSK and MI currently have no option but to win in their remaining fixtures to at least stay relevant in the title race until the end of the group stage. Along with winning the match, they will have to keep an eye on the net run rates as well, as in the play-offs selection, net run rates can play a crucial role.
As of now, CSK is ahead of MI in the points table. The team in Yellow is currently ranked 6th in the 10-team league with 6 points as they have claimed 3 wins and 5 defeats in 8 games so far. In their last five matches, Super Kings claimed 3 wins and two defeats only. On the other side, the Mumbai Indians are currently at the 9th spot in the table with 4 points in as many games.
Ruturaj Gaikwad himself vows to play with a more aggressive approach
CSK, in their last match, got defeated by the Gujarat Titans. In this match, captain Gaikwad played an unbeaten 74-run knock. CSK fans and the management will expect to see the leader playing with more intent in their upcoming fixtures. Ruturaj Gaikwad himself hinted at playing with more aggression.
“In the first timeout, I told Flem that I was trying to be positive and aggressive. But at times, the ball popped out with an inconsistent bounce. I told him I was trying to adapt, but it wasn’t possible. You couldn’t judge, and you couldn’t expect it to turn out well. We were lethargic and didn’t start well, but we needed to do better,” Gaikwad said after their match against the Gujarat Titans.
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