4 min readMay 18, 2026 09:55 PM IST Off the 21st delivery he faced, Ruturaj Gaikwad finally took the aerial route off Pat Cummins. As Eshan Malinga pouched it deep square-leg, and Gaikwad dragged himself off, it felt as if the packed house at Chepauk was more relieved than stunned into silence. 15 off 21. No boundary or a six to show. A strike-rate of 71.42. Opening the batting and returning to the pavilion after 11.3 overs, the numbers said it all. In a tournament where openers and the top three have been setting the early pace with quickfire knocks, Gaikwad has been the opposite. His strike-rate of 120.67 is way below what modern T20 template demands. Chennai Super Kings’ opponent on the night, Sunrisers Hyderabad, have at their disposal two openers who strike at 209.13 and 171.09. As the broadcaster put out a graphic, Gaikwad’s strike-rate of 125 is the lowest among all openers who have faced a minimum of 200 deliveries this season. Batsmen enduring a dip in form through the course of …