Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad stayed unbeaten on 42 runs in 41 balls to shoulder his team over the line with five wickets in hand. It was the seventh win for the ‘Yellow Army’ in this Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, as they get promoted to the third position in the tournament.
In a 142-run chase against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), the Super Kings needed someone to stand at one end till the finish to guide themselves towards the run-chase. Ruturaj Gaikwad played the role beautifully with his steady knock, that was decorated with one boundary and couple of sixes.
The India opener is now the second highest run-getter of the tournament with 583 runs in 13 innings at an average of 58.30, with a strike rate of 141.50, including four half centuries and one century, with a best of 108*.
‘Well done to Ruturaj Gaikwad, you needed to stay…’ – Aakash Chopra
In seven innings at this ground of the IPL 2024, Ruturaj Gaikwad has smashed 438 runs at an unbelievable average of 109.5, with three fifties and one century. On a slow surface at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Gaikwad has shown how to deal with the spinners.
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Former India opener Aakash Chopra rated that in the 32-run opening stand against RR, Gaikwad just stood at one end, as Rachin Ravindra busted firecrackers from the opposite side, with a 18-ball 27-run knock.
‘When it was the turn for the run chase, it seemed like Chennai would think about winning the match and improving their net rate slightly. They said Rachin Ravindra would open and Ajinkya Rahane wouldn’t come – fair decision,’ Aakash Chopra expressed in a video shared on his YouTube channel.
‘It seemed like it was an RR vs RR match at the start – Rajasthan Royals vs Rachin Ravindra,”
‘Ruturaj Gaikwad was standing at the other end but wasn’t doing anything. Rachin was hitting fours and sixes and he was watching from the other end. So, till the time Rachin Ravindra didn’t get out, the game was RR vs RR. However, Rachin got out. It was a short knock. He scored 27 runs off 18 balls. He hit two sixes,’ ,’ The former India batter remarked on how Ravindra treated the Royals at the start.
With the dismissal of Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell came at the crease and looked to destroy the bowlers from the very first ball. In the 35-run second wicket stand, Mitchell ended with 22-runs in 13 balls with four boundaries.
‘Then Daryl Mitchell came and he also scored runs. All of them also got starts but no one played a big knock. However, since you were chasing, you could still control the things ‘You knew where you had to reach. Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 42 runs off 41 balls and remained unbeaten till the end,’ The former Kolkata Knight Riders opener said in the video.
‘Just think about it, you scored 145 in a run chase and your opener was unbeaten on 42 at the end. It worked fine because that was the need of this game. So well done Ruturaj, you needed to stay there, and you did that. Shivam Dube came in between and played some big shots,’ The renowned commentator concluded.
Chennai Super Kings will now take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their last league game of the IPL 2024 on May 18, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.