Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad pointed to their slow starts and mistakes in the field as key factors in their six-run loss to Rajasthan Royals on Sunday. This defeat marks their second loss in a row. Rajasthan’s Nitish Rana hit a fast 81 runs off 36 balls, and Wanindu Hasaranga picked up four wickets, leading the Royals to a tough win at Barsapara Stadium. CSK was chasing 183 runs but lost Rachin Ravindra for no runs, and Rahul Tripathi went out after the power play, finishing at 176/6. They had also lost their previous match at home to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, which was their first loss there in 17 years.
“We need to start strong, but once we do, things will change,” Gaikwad said after the match. He noted their mistakes in the field cost them about 8-10 runs, and they need to fix that. Gaikwad scored a solid 63, but losing wickets kept CSK from finishing the chase.
On batting at No. 3, he said it was a planned move. “Ajinkya usually bats at three, and Rayudu takes care of the middle overs. We thought I should come in later to help stabilize things while Tripathi could go for it at the start. It was decided at the auction, and I’m fine with it. I still get to bat early in every game,” he added with a grin.
On the other side, Rajasthan Royals’ stand-in captain Riyan Parag was happy to wrap up their time in Guwahati with a win. “We thought we were about 20 runs short. We started well but lost a few quick wickets. Still, our bowlers stuck to the game plan,” Parag said.
“This win was important since we’ve had two rough matches – one where we gave up 280 runs and another where we couldn’t defend 180. We were really good in the field, and I managed to take a great catch to get rid of Shivam Dube, while Shimron Hetmyer’s catch ended MS Dhoni’s rally.” He noted that their fielding has improved thanks to work with their coach, Dishant Yagnik.