Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad pointed to poor starts and fielding mistakes as the main reasons behind their six-run loss to Rajasthan Royals in the IPL on Sunday, marking their second consecutive defeat. Nitish Rana’s explosive 81 off 36 balls and Wanindu Hasaranga’s impressive four-wicket haul helped Rajasthan Royals secure a hard-fought victory at Barsapara Stadium. In their chase of 183, CSK lost Rachin Ravindra for a duck and Rahul Tripathi shortly after the powerplay, finishing at 176/6. This defeat came on the heels of their loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore at home, their first in 17 years.
CSK’s Struggles and Rajasthan Royals’ Key Win
We haven’t been getting good starts, but once we do, things will be different,” admitted CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad at the post-match presentation. He also pointed out that misfields led to conceding 8-10 extra runs, something the team needs to improve on. Despite Gaikwad’s valiant 63 anchoring the chase, regular fall of wickets prevented CSK from crossing the line.
On his batting position at No. 3, Gaikwad clarified that it was a pre-planned strategy. “Over the years, Ajinkya batted at three while Rayudu handled the middle overs. We thought it would be better if I came in later to steady things, while Tripathi could attack upfront. It was decided at the auction, and I have no problem with it. Anyway, I’m getting to bat early in every game,” he said with a smile.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals’ stand-in skipper, Riyan Parag, expressed relief at securing a win in their Guwahati leg. “We felt we were 20 short. We were going well in the middle overs but lost a couple of quick wickets. However, our bowlers executed our plans well,” Parag remarked.
Reflecting on their tough games, Parag added, “We’ve had two tough games – one where we conceded 280 and another where we couldn’t defend 180. This win was much needed.”
Rajasthan Royals‘ fielding was exceptional, with Parag taking a stunning catch to dismiss Shivam Dube for 18, while Shimron Hetmyer pulled off a brilliant catch to end MS Dhoni’s late surge for 16. Parag acknowledged the importance of fielding, saying, “Fielding makes up for the 20 runs that we were short. We have been working with Dishant Yagnik, our fielding coach, so it shows