Ruturaj Gaikwad, the captain of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance in their IPL 2024 opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Gaikwad highlighted the quick dismissals of Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell as the turning point of the match.
Mustafizur Rahman’s impressive bowling (4/29) played a crucial role in CSK’s victory by restricting RCB to 173/6 on a good track. Gaikwad mentioned that CSK had control over the game right from the start.
“Once the spinners and Fizz (Mustafizur) came on, we were in control,” Gaikwad said during the post-match presentation ceremony. Although he admitted that conceding 10-15 runs less would have been ideal, he praised the team’s comeback.
Gaikwad emphasized the significance of Mustafizur’s dismissal of Du Plessis and Deepak Chahar’s delivery to remove Maxwell. These quick wickets helped CSK maintain control over the game, according to Gaikwad.
Regarding his experience as captain, Gaikwad mentioned that he has always enjoyed leadership roles and didn’t feel additional pressure, especially with MS Dhoni guiding him.
On the other hand, RCB captain Du Plessis acknowledged that they fell short by 20 runs and admitted that losing too many wickets in the initial overs put them on the back foot. He credited CSK’s spinners for putting pressure on RCB throughout the game.
Overall, Gaikwad’s tactical decisions and the team’s performance led CSK to a convincing six-wicket victory over RCB in their IPL 2024 opener.