Chennai Super Kings skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad finally completed his first fifty of the Indian Premier League 2026; but at what cost? On Sunday, the five-time IPL champions were up against the Gujarat Titans
in the day game of a double-header at home, Chepauk. The game saw visiting skipper Shubman Gill win the toss and invite the hosts to put the score on the board first. Chennai, who were coming off a blowout win in the previous game, got off to an embarrassing start and lost their first three wickets in the powerplay.
However, fans got to see what they had been waiting for since the beginning of the season- skipper Gaikwad’s first fifty. The CSK skipper who has been going through a performance slump since the beginning of the season, finally reached the milestone, but on 49 balls. With this, Gaikwad also registered the slowest fifty in the IPL 2026 season, surpassing Rishabh Pant’s previous slowest at Hyderabad against SRH. Pant had utilized 43 balls for the same.
In addition, Gaikwad now holds the forgettable record of recording one of the slowest 50s for the Yellow Army, and the slowest in the Impact Sub era, i.e., since 2023.
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s first IPL 2026 fifty overlooked by slow knock, fans troll
Needless to say, the CSK skipper’s first fifty of the season was overlooked by his slow innings. Fans didn’t miss out on the chance and took to X to roast the cricketer, comparing his knock to that of an ODI and Tests. Here are some of the reactions-
Ruturaj gaikwad is a proper test player man ..... pic.twitter.com/VvxhsVbOxM
— good 👍 (@MARNDI21) April 26, 2026
Keep playing Ruturaj Gaikwad and keep losing @ChennaiIPL He literally puts pressure on every batsman and they get out looking for runs #cskvsgt
— AnonymousCSKian (@CaptainMsdhoni7) April 26, 2026
Ruturaj Gaikwad bringing back vintage cricket, 50 in 49 balls in a t20 #TATAIPL
— The Adventurous Bunny🏔 (@mountains_peace) April 26, 2026
Virat Kohli Watching his Fanboy Ruturaj Gaikwad Innings 50(49) pic.twitter.com/WlJPHCuLUG
— A (@wXtreme18) April 26, 2026
As of writing, the Chepauk-based team was batting at 147-7 in 19.1 overs, with Gaikwad batting at 64 and Akeal Hosein at 0.
