Chennai, April 3 – Ruturaj Gaikwad felt that Chennai Super Kings had put up a strong total on a pitch that favored bowlers, but admitted that their inability to maintain sustained pressure with the ball ultimately proved costly, as they suffered their second consecutive defeat against Punjab Kings by five wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
"Honestly, I think it was a really good score. The pitch was good for fast bowlers. But for the spinners, it was a bit challenging. On this ground with large boundaries, it was a very good score," Gaikwad said after the match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday.
CSK's innings started shakily, with Sanju Samson (7) falling early again, exposing his struggles against movement. Despite the early setbacks, Mhatre took control, showing great intent and preparation, especially against short balls. Having worked on his pull shot, he confidently took on the pacers, scoring 59 off 32 balls within nine overs, including four fours and five sixes.
While Mhatre dominated, Ruturaj Gaikwad (28 off 22) struggled to accelerate, falling at a crucial time when CSK needed momentum. Mhatre's dismissal proved to be a turning point. With 123 on the board, Mhatre had scored 73 of those runs — nearly 60% — highlighting CSK's over-reliance on him, as the rest of the batting managed just 38 off 32 balls, with 12 extras.
Sarfaraz Khan then injected late momentum with a brilliant cameo, using ramps and deft touches to counter both pace and yorkers, scoring 266. Although Dube initially struggled, he finished strongly, anchoring the death overs with an unbeaten 45. CSK's 209/5 also marked their first 200-plus total at Chepauk since April 2024, signaling a return to their high-scoring best.
Explaining the decision to bring in Rahul Chahar as an impact substitute, Gaikwad pointed to the team's bowling combination and conditions. "We felt we had three fast bowlers in our lineup. We also had good wrist spinners bowling after the Power-play. Both had a slightly off day. That was the thought process."
Assessing the bowling performance, CSK's captain highlighted a lack of pressure at key moments. "I think it was a combination of factors. We executed well. But we didn't execute at the right time. We didn't build enough pressure. It could have gone to 11, and a couple of good overs could have taken it to 12 and 13. We couldn't maintain pressure with the ball."
Despite the defeat, Gaikwad chose to focus on the positives from the game, particularly individual performances. "It was definitely a tough one. But, as I said, there were a lot of positives. Ayush batted really well. We have confidence in him. Shivam also played very well. Our bowling was a bit off today."
On his own innings, Gaikwad said he was adapting to the team's needs in the middle. "I'm feeling good. It's just about adapting to the role that the team needs. Since the pitch was a bit challenging and Ayush was doing well at the other end, I thought of just playing my part. But I got out at the wrong time."