"That is the requirement of the team and that gives the team more balance and I am really happy to change my position."

This was Ruturaj Gaikwad on moving down to No.3 last season. Back then, there was a debate around who would partner him up top with CSK having to choose between Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra. But in a twist, Gaikwad himself wasn't opening the batting. He had also batted at one drop a few times the previous season as well. The move raised eyebrows, considering the batter scored 635 runs in 2021 and 590 runs in 2023 - the last two times CSK won the title.

While his tournament was cut short last year by an elbow injury, Gaikwad had a couple of impressive outings at one drop and was expected to occupy the same spot in the new season given CSK's acquisition of Sanju Samson and the emergence of young Ayush Mhatre. But a few days before their opening game, the 29-year-old confirmed his move back to the top of the order.

Four games in, it's safe to say the move hasn't borne fruit. While the lack of runs can be attributed to a small dip, CSK should be concerned about the lack of intent. Gaikwad has struck at 103.70 so far in this year's IPL. That drops down to 102.43 in the Powerplay - a phase where the scores and scoring rates have gone through the roof in recent times.

Gaikwad's struggles were illustrated much more clearly during his most recent outing against Delhi Capitals on April 11. It was an IPL double-header day, meaning eight openers were in action across the two venues. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma made 31 (15) and 66 (22) respectively in the Powerplay. Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh responded with 51 (18) and 41 (18). At Chepauk, Gaikwad's opening partner Sanju Samson scored 45 (19), while Pathum Nissanka and KL Rahul made 41 (24) and 18 (10) respectively. The lowest strike rate for an opener that day was Nissanka's 170.83. Gaikwad struck at 88.23 in his scratchy 15 (17).

Those alarming numbers weren't restricted to just one bad outing. Gaikwad has the lowest stike rate among 19 batters who have faced a minimum of 30 deliveries in the Powerplay this season.

There's no doubting the CSK skipper's quality. He is perhaps their most consistent and complete batter. But the demands of opening in the IPL have evolved. A score of around 75 in the Powerplay or even more has easily become the norm now during the fielding restrictions on good batting surfaces. Teams have gone hammer and tongs, thanks to the Impact Player rule, which provides the cushion of an extra batter in the lineup. While it would be understandable to see Gaikwad fighting it out had CSK lacked options but that is clearly not the case due to Mhatre's emergence

Coming in as a replacement player midway last season, Mhatre gave CSK some much needed firepower up top, finishing his maiden season with a strike rate of 189. This season, despite his demotion to No.3, Mhatre has struck at a strike rate of 180 registering a couple of half-centuries already. However, Mhatre's scoring rate against spin in his short IPL career dips a fair bit when compared to pace, making it even more an enticing prospect to have him open again. With Samson alongside him, CSK could potentially replicate the kind of starts that define successful T20 sides today.

Pushing Gaikwad down also gives CSK another good option in the middle overs against spin and once set, he possesses the range to accelerate and find boundaries even off good deliveries. With no real pressure to force the pace right from ball one, Gaikwad can return to his best which becomes crucial for CSK's chances having already made a false start this season. Historically, this is a franchise that isn't reactionary but a small tweak could do wonders. Right now, Gaikwad finds himself in a position where he has to either step up to align with the new norm or make way for Mhatre.