The Chennai Super Kings faced a tough loss against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, marking their first defeat at home against them since the IPL started back in 2008. On that Friday match at Chepauk, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, the team couldn’t quite hit the target of 197 runs and ended up losing the game by 50 runs. In the world of T20 cricket, a loss like that can feel pretty rough, but Gaikwad wasn’t looking to make excuses. He felt the batting conditions weren’t easy and pointed to his team’s fielding as a main reason for the defeat.
Gaikwad shared his thoughts straight after the match, saying, “Honestly, I think 170 runs would have been a good score on that pitch.” He explained that batting conditions were tougher than they appeared. “The poor fielding really hurt us. When you chase 170, you have a bit of breathing room, but with 20 runs more, you need to take a different approach in the powerplay, and we missed the mark today.”
He mentioned that the pitch actually became a bit tricky as the game progressed. “It got slower and a little sticky during our innings,” he noted. “The new ball was gripping more than we’d expected. Not sure what caused that.”
The bowling attack from RCB did an impressive job right off the bat, dismissing three key CSK players—Rahil Tripathi, Gaikwad himself, and Deepak Hooda—right during the Powerplay. When asked about what CSK could have done to improve their chase, Gaikwad said, “Well, Rahul trusted his shot, and I went with mine too. Sometimes those things pan out in your favor, and sometimes they don’t. When you have a target that’s a bit higher than you planned, you want to stay one step ahead while batting. That was the game plan, but it didn’t work out this time.”
Gaikwad also pointed out the advantage that comes with having world-class spinners in the team. “When they bring in fresh batsmen to face our spinners, it can turn the game. But that didn’t happen today. We missed catching some crucial chances that could have shifted the momentum back to us,” he reflected.
Looking forward, Gaikwad acknowledged the long trip ahead to Guwahati for their next match. He knows they need to mentally prepare and focus on areas that need work. “Fielding definitely needs to improve a lot,” he admitted. “We need to come back strong in that department next game.” Overall, while the loss was disappointing, there’s a sense of determination to make things right in the future.
