Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad pointed out that their slow starts and some fielding mistakes were big factors in their loss to Rajasthan Royals by six runs in the IPL on Sunday. This marked CSK’s second loss back-to-back. Rajasthan’s Nitish Rana smashed a quickfire 81 off 36 balls, and Wanindu Hasaranga took four wickets, leading to a tough win at Barsapara Stadium. CSK was chasing 183 but lost Rachin Ravindra for a duck, and Rahul Tripathi went out early, finishing at 176/6. They also lost their last game at home, marking the first time in 17 years that’s happened against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
We haven’t been starting well, but once we do, it’ll change, Gaikwad said after the match. He also mentioned that they gave away 8-10 extra runs due to fielding errors, which they definitely need to work on. Gaikwad scored a solid 63, but with wickets falling, CSK fell short. He explained that batting at No. 3 was part of their plan. “Ajinkya usually bats at three, and Rayudu takes care of the middle overs. I thought it made sense for me to come in later and stabilize things while Tripathi attacks early.” He added, “It was decided at the auction, and I’m fine with it since I’m getting to bat early in every match,” he said with a smile.
On the other hand, Rajasthan’s stand-in captain Riyan Parag, leading in his hometown, was glad to finish their stretch in Guwahati with a win. “We felt we were about 20 runs short. We were doing well but lost some quick wickets. Our bowlers really stuck to the plan,” Parag said. He noted that this win was much needed after two tough games—one where they conceded 280 and another where they couldn’t defend 180. They also shone in the field, with Parag making a great catch to dismiss Shivam Dube for 18, and Shimron Hetmyer’s catch took out MS Dhoni late in the game for 16. “Fielding helped make up for the runs we missed,” Parag added.
