In the 49th league match of the ongoing IPL cricket series, the Chennai Super Kings faced off against the Punjab Kings at Chennai iconic Chepauk Stadium yesterday. Led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, Chennai won the toss and elected to bat first. However, they failed to capitalize on the opportunity, managing only 162 runs in their 20 overs, losing 7 wickets in the process.
Ruturaj Gaikwad was the top scorer for Chennai, with a well-made 62 runs, supported by Rahane who scored 29 runs. Despite their efforts, the Chennai batting lineup struggled against the impressive bowling attack of the Punjab team.
Chasing a target of 163 runs, Punjab Kings put up a strong performance, losing only three wickets in 17.5 overs and reaching the target with ease. Bairstow was the top scorer for Punjab with 46 runs, closely followed by Riley Rousseau, who contributed 43 runs to the team total.
Speaking about the defeat, Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad admitted that they should have scored at least 50 to 60 more runs in the match. He acknowledged that the pitch was good for batting, but their failure to post a big total cost them the game.
“The ball came onto the bat well on this ground. However, our inability to score big runs in this match was the reason for the defeat. Due to the impact player rules, this goal was definitely missed,” Gaikwad said.
Gaikwad also mentioned the importance of winning the toss in such matches. “I practiced the toss but the toss did not go in my favor. I feel a lot of pressure when I throw the toss than when I play matches,” he added.
Highlighting the absence of key players due to injuries, Gaikwad said, “Few players in our team have left due to injury, which has given us a setback.”
The Chennai Super Kings had a big win in their last match, defeating their opponents by 78 runs. Gaikwad expressed his belief that if they had scored more than 200 runs in this match, they would have emerged victorious.
Despite the setback, Gaikwad remained optimistic about the team performance in the upcoming matches, stating, “We will learn from this defeat and come back stronger in the next matches.”
The defeat against Punjab Kings has pushed Chennai Super Kings down in the points table, and they will be looking to bounce back in their next fixture.