CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad masterminded a decisive victory for his side against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in match 46 of the IPL 2024 season in Chennai. Gaikwad’s superb 98-run innings, accompanied by a 107-run partnership with Daryl Mitchell, was the highlight of the match.
Following CSK’s commanding performance on their home turf, Gaikwad revealed the areas where his team had enhanced their on-field performance. Additionally, he reflected on his mindset while batting during the match.
Ruturaj Gaikwad expresses that not reaching 100 is not a worry
During the post-match presentation ceremony, Ruturaj Gaikwad, the victorious captain and ‘Player of the Match,’ conveyed his enthusiasm about winning by a 78-run margin despite the challenging wet conditions.
He further mentioned that his goal was never to score a century; instead, he was solely aiming for his team to reach a target of 220-225.
Gaikwad remarked: “Feeling good, it’s tough to play in such wet conditions and to be able to win by 70 odd runs is a clinical performance. Batting first at the toss was a blessing in disguise for us. I was never thinking about a 100, I just wanted to make sure we get to 220-225, and even in the last game it was about getting those 10-15 extra runs.”
Ruturaj Gaikwad acknowledged his frustration at failing to connect with a couple of significant shots towards the end of his innings. The 27-year-old also commended his team for adhering to their revised strategies, which addressed their bowling and fielding shortcomings. Like many captains in this IPL 2024 season, Gaikwad also voiced his support for the newly-introduced ‘Impact Player’ rule.
He remarked: “I was more disappointed in missing out on those 4-5 hits in the end and was upset during the mid-innings too. The total was enough obviously but last game we made some errors and there were loose balls.”
“So, we came up with another plan and we stuck to those today, we knew what to expect and the catches won it for us. With the impact player rule you always want those extra 20 runs, you never know what the par score could be and you always want those extra runs.”
Ruturaj Gaikwad recognized Tushar Deshpande’s pivotal bowling performance, where he claimed four SRH wickets while conceding only 27 runs, contributing significantly to the team’s victory.
“Definitely, that was one area where we lost the momentum, not getting enough wickets in the powerplay. If we pick early wickets, it puts the opposition under pressure, and we know how good of a bowler Tushar is and he delivered today. Credit to Jaddu as well.”
Gaikwad will now lead his CSK team in their upcoming IPL 2024 match against the Punjab Kings. This highly anticipated clash will also take place at Chennai’s Chepauk Stadium on May 1.
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