Table of Contents
Chennai Super Kings (CSK), led by skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, faced their fifth defeat of the IPL 2024 season, this time on their home turf at Chepauk, where Punjab Kings (PBKS) clinched a seven-wicket victory on Wednesday (May 1).
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s toss woes
In the post-match presentation, Ruturaj humorously lamented his poor toss record, jokingly questioning what he needed to do to turn the luck in his favour. Ruturaj has lost the toss the most times this season, winning only once in 10 games. Even in this game his team was being put into bat first by Sam Curran, which ultimately proved to be the correct decision.
“50-60 runs short to be honest. When we were batting first, the pitch wasn’t great, plus the dew as well. [Toss] I have practiced a lot. I have tossed it in the match. I am winning in the practice, but not winning in the match. What to do. I am really under pressure at the toss, not at the game,” Ruturaj said.
Most Toss Lost by a Captain in IPL Season :
☆ Sanju Samson – 13 (2022)
☆ MS Dhoni – 12 (2012)
☆ MS Dhoni – 11 (2008)
☆ Ruturaj Gaikwad – 9 (2024) So FarAll Of Them Except Ruturaj Gaikwad Lost IPL Final in Those Season . pic.twitter.com/Lo9R5v96sa
— Junaid Khan (@JunaidKhanation) May 1, 2024
Also READ: IPL 2024: Deepak Chahar’s sister slams critics after pacer’s injury in CSK vs PBKS match
CSK’s batting struggles against PBKS’ spinners
Upon being sent in to bat, the Chennai batters struggled to find momentum against Punjab’s spinners, particularly left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar, who maintained tight lines and grabbed the crucial wicket of in-form batter Shivam Dube. Right-arm leg-spinner Rahul Chahar also made an impact, picking up two wickets while conceding only 16 runs in his four-over spell.
His masterful bowling even subdued the usually explosive MS Dhoni in the penultimate over. Only Ruturaj managed to reach the fifty-plus mark, scoring 62 runs off 48 balls, smashing five boundaries and two sixes to guide his side to a fighting score of 162/7 in their allotted 20 overs.
PBKS’ steady response
In response, PBKS didn’t get off to a dream start as their impact player Prabhsimran Singh struggled to play freely and eventually fell victim to IPL debutant Richard Gleeson. However, Jonny Bairstow and Rilee Rossouw steadied the innings, adding a crucial 64 runs for the second wicket. Even after their dismissals, Curran and young talent Shashank Singh continued the momentum, ultimately securing a seven-wicket victory over CSK. With this win, PBKS became the first team since the Mumbai Indians (MI) to defeat defending champions CSK five times in a row.
