IPL 2024: Never felt any pressure regarding captaincy, Mahi Bhai was with me: Ruturaj Gaikwad – Dainik Savera Times

Chennai. Making a great start as captain in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Ruturaj Gaikwad led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to an impressive win against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the first match of the season on Friday. Under the calm and composed leadership of Ruturaj, CSK performed brilliantly and easily chased down RCB’s target of 174 runs at the M.A. Chennai Stadium. Achieved a spectacular victory by 6 wickets at Chidambaram Stadium. The win showcased CSK’s might as defending champions and confirmed Ruturaj’s ability to fill the void left by the great MS Dhoni as captain.

Despite losing the toss and fielding first, Ruturaj remained unperturbed, making stunning bowling variations, especially during the powerplay. His decision to include Mustafizur Rahman in the final over of the powerplay proved crucial, as the Bangladeshi fast bowler struck crucial blows, dismantling RCB’s top order and reducing their score to 72 for 5.

During the post-match presentation, Ruturaj expressed satisfaction with CSK’s performance, and emphasized their complete control of the game from the start. He acknowledged areas of improvement, particularly in ensuring that his top-order batsmen batted throughout the innings to make the chase easier.

After the match, Ruturaj said, ‘I have always enjoyed it. Have not felt additional pressure from the state. Not even once did I feel pressured by anything. Apparently Mahi Bhai was with me.

Ruturaj said, ‘Complete control from the beginning. 2-3 overs here and there but once the spinners came in we were in control. It would have been better if 10-15 runs less but they made a good comeback.

He said, ‘There are a lot of positives, but two-three things need to be worked on. Everyone contributed in batting. If we had some top-order batsmen, it would have been easier to chase the target.

Mustafizur’s remarkable start for CSK, taking four wickets and giving his best IPL performance, set the tone for the match. However, RCB fought bravely, with Anuj Rawat and Dinesh Kartaki putting on a strong partnership of 95 runs to set a competitive target of 174 runs.

Chasing the target, CSK’s batsmen displayed remarkable consistency, with Rachin Ravindra scoring a blistering 37 off just 15 balls in his debut for the team. Ruturaj himself contributed a composed 15 runs, while players like Daryl Mitchell, Ajinkya Rahano, Shivam Dubey and Ravindra Jadeja provided crucial support, ensuring his team’s easy win.

With their win, CSK are now eyeing their next challenge as they are set to face Gujarat Titans in a much-awaited encounter that will be reminiscent of last year’s final, which will be held in Chennai on Tuesday, March 25. Going to do.