“Obviously had Mahi bhai as well”- Ruturaj Gaikwad speaks up on maiden victory as CSK skipper in IPL 2024

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) picked up right from where they left off last season as the defending champions defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the opening game of IPL 2024 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

The victory also marked Ruturaj Gaikwad’s first win as CSK’s captain, as the 27-year-old embarked on a new role. Expectations had been high from the opening batter, and Gaikwad took the responsibility positively. He showcased good captaincy skills, thereby remaining calm under pressure.

Speaking to Ravi Shastri during the post-match presentation, the newly appointed CSK skipper said that he enjoyed leading the side and was courteous to the former CSK captain, saying that he had the latter by his side.

“I’ve always enjoyed it (captaincy), never felt it as an additional pressure. I had experience on how to handle it, never felt any pressure, obviously had Mahi (MS Dhoni) bhai as well.”

On his maiden victory as captain of the five-time IPL winning team, Gaikwad said:

“Total control I would say, right from the start (apart) from 2-3 overs. Would’ve loved 10-15 runs less but I think they played really well towards the end. I feel that was a big turning point to get Maxwell and Faf out. We got three quick wickets and it helped us control the next overs, that was the real turning point.”

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“There is role clarity in the batting unit” - Ruturaj Gaikwad speaks on CSK batters contributing equally during run chase

RCB batters Dinesh Karthik and Anuj Rawat put on a show in the first innings, which helped their side get to 173/6 from what was 78/5 at one stage. While it looked like a tough chase to pull off, CSK batters dominated the second essay.

While none of them got a half-century, the top and middle-order batters contributed equally to keep things level between the two sides. Shivam Dube then took the onus and finished off the chase with six wickets and eight balls to spare.

Speaking about the chase, Gaikwad said:

“I think everyone in our squad are natural stroke players, I think even Jinks (Ajinkya Rahane) is playing really positively. Everyone knows their roles and which bowlers to take on. Role clarity really helps. Two-three things to work on, everyone batted well but I think if someone from the top 3 batted till the 15th over it would’ve been even easier.”

CSK defeated RCB by six wickets to start the new season on a high note. They will next face Gujarat Titans on their home turf in a rematch of last year’s final. RCB, on the other hand, will host the Punjab Kings in their second game of the tournament.