Chennai Super Kings’ captain Ruturaj Gaikwad nearly scored what would have been his second consecutive century, before eventually ending up with 98 in a 78-run triumph over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday (28 April). Courtesy of his knock, CSK were able to post a competitive total of 212 runs.
In his maiden season as the captain of the five-time champions, Gaikwad has been in sublime form with the bat, having scored 447 runs at an average of 63.85. Had he not been selfless in the last over, attempting a maximum despite batting at 98, he could also easily have been only the second batter to score multiple centuries in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL).
Explaining his rationale after the match, Gaikwad stated he was not thinking about personal milestones.
I was never even thinking about the hundred. I was just trying to make sure we get to 220-odd, or whatever extra runs were possible. Even in the last game, I wasn't thinking about the hundred. I was upset I missed a few hits. At the innings break, I thought it would cost us, but in the end, it worked out.Ruturaj Gaikwad
Chennai had a decent total of 210 runs to defend in the last match against Lucknow Super Giants, but they were unsuccessful in their attempt. Speaking about what worked out in their favour against Hyderabad, Gaikwad stated:
Last game we made some errors, some loose balls here and there. We were not really up to the mark in the field. Today we came up with plans, stuck to them and we were excellent in the field. With the impact rule you never know the par score, you always want an extra 10-20 runs.Ruturaj Gaikwad
Tushar Deshpande’s Hard Work Is Paying Off: Ruturaj Gaikwad
Hyderabad were bowled out for a paltry 134, as Tushar Deshpande picked up four wickets, including the wickets of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. Ravindra Jadeja, meanwhile, played the supporting act to perfection, recording figures of 4-0-22-1.
(Tushar) Deshpande bowled really well. His hard work is paying off. Special mention to Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja) as well. In these wet conditions, four overs 20-25 runs, for me that was a match-turning spell. I'm not very vocal. Everyone is very experienced in the dressing room and you can't just go up to seniors and tell them what to do. So I just take a back seat.Ruturaj Gaikwad
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