IPL 2025: CSK skipper Gaikwad laments dropped catches, poor powerplay batting following loss to RCB

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 29 (ANI): Following his team's loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad expressed that 170 runs was a "par total" on the Chepauk surface and dropped catches, some extra boundaries costed them the game.
Tight bowling spells from pacers Josh Hazlewood and Yash Dayal helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) secure a 50-run win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at Chepauk Stadium on Thursday.
Speaking during the post-match presentation, Gaikwad said, "To be honest, I still feel 170 was a par score on this wicket. It was not that great to bat. It was a bad day in the fielding; it cost us really badly. At the end of the day, when you are chasing 170, you bat differently. You have little bit time when you go in to bat. When you are chasing 20 runs extra on a wicket where you know it is going to be a little bit sticky and it is going to stop after the ball gets old, you have to bat slightly differently in the powerplay. It got a little bit slower and sticky. The new ball was sticking a lot until the five overs, do not really know how it happened."
"Rahul (Tripathi) backed his shot, I went and backed my shot, sometimes it works, sometimes it does not. There are times where you have a par score in your mind and probably when you are chasing 20 runs extra, you always want to be a step ahead of the game. That is what the thinking was, did not really work out. Still happy that we did not lose by a big margin and at the end it was just 50 runs."
"Definitely a different scenario when you have three world-class spinners in your team, you want the new batters to face them. That is where the game changes a lot. They just kept going, we dropped catches at crucial times and then there was always an extra six or extra boundary that was coming after that. The momentum kept going and did not stop till the final over. There is a long flight to Guwahati (for Rajasthan Royals match), we have to turn up mentally. We are going to have bad day in batting and bowling in a tournament like IPL but I feel the fielding has to improve a lot and we should come back stronger in the fielding department," he concluded.
It was RCB's first win against CSK at the Yellow Army's home ground of Chepauk Stadium after 2008.
Coming to the match, CSK won the toss and elected to bowl first. While Phil Salt (34 in 16 balls, with five fours and a six) powered RCB with some attacking shots in the start, Virat Kohli (31 in 30 balls, with two fours and a six) struggled to stamp his authority. After a 45-run opening stand, Devdutt Paddikal (27 in 14 balls, with two fours and two sixes) played an entertaining cameo and Rajat Patidar (51 in 32 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes) had some crucial partnerships. In the end, Tim David (22* in eight balls, with a four and three sixes) delivered a magnificent cameo), taking RCB to 196/7 in their 20 overs.
Noor Ahmad (3/36) was the pick of the bowlers for CSK. Matheesha Pathirana (2/36) was also pretty solid with the ball.
During the run-chase, RCB was sensational in controlling CSK batters, as Hazlewood (3/21) got Rahul Tripathi and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad in his first over. Rachin Ravindra (41 in 31 balls, with five fours) tried to put up a fight, but Yash Dayal (2/18) and Liam Livingstone (2/28) made sure he did not get any support. MS Dhoni played a cameo of 30* in 16 balls, with three fours and two sixes. But RCB restricted CSK to 146/8.
Patidar secured the 'Player of the Match' title. (ANI)