“Probably 50-60 runs short”: CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad

Following a disheartening loss to Punjab Kings (PBKS) at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad reflected on his team’s performance, noting they were significantly short on runs.

“Probably 50-60 runs short, the pitch wasn’t great when we batted, but it got better later on. With the impact rule as well, we were well short,” Gaikwad commented during the post-match presentation.

The match saw Punjab Kings deliver a solid all-round performance to secure a commanding seven-wicket victory over CSK, marking the second breach of CSK’s stronghold at Chepauk this IPL 2024 season. Conditions were challenging for the home team as dew played a significant role, impacting the bowlers’ ability to maintain rhythm throughout the night.

Gaikwad also shared his struggles with the match toss, revealing a psychological battle. “I’ve practised the tosses (during the practice sessions), it’s not going well in the match, not sure what to do. To be truthful, I’m under pressure when I go to the middle (for the toss).”

The loss came shortly after CSK’s impressive 78-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Reflecting on recent matches, Gaikwad noted, “We were also surprised that we won by a big margin in the last match considering the conditions (win by 78 runs against SRH). I think the last two games, the conditions and pitch were better, it allowed us to fight hard and get to 200+, today, it wasn’t good enough to get to even 180.”

An early blow came when Deepak Chahar exited the game after bowling just two deliveries due to injury, compounding CSK’s challenges. “It’s a real problem (on the player missing due to injuries and Chahal walking away in the first over), there are phases where you want wickets, but you have only two bowlers, the dew took the spinners out of the equation. It was tough, but there were four games left and we will try and come back to winning ways,” Gaikwad said, expressing hope for a turnaround in the upcoming matches.

Despite the vibrant support from the home crowd, PBKS efficiently chased down the target of 163 with more than two overs to spare, thanks to key performances by Jonny Bairstow and Rilee Rossouw who established a crucial 64-run partnership. Sam Curran and Shashank Singh then applied the finishing touches to ensure a smooth seven-wicket victory for PBKS.