Ruturaj Gaikwad Breaks Silence On His Controversial Batting Approach Vs GT

Ruturaj Gaikwad. [Source - AFP]

CSK suffered a heavy defeat on Sunday against Gujarat Titans, losing by eight wickets with more than three overs to spare. Defending a modest 159 at home, CSK's bowlers were unable to contain the visitors' bowling attack.

None of the CSK batters, except for captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, managed to settle and accumulate runs. The innings lacked momentum, forcing Gaikwad to rebuild through the middle overs.

Gaikwad's 49-ball fifty, the slowest of the season, came under scrutiny after the match. The skipper explained his cautious approach, talking after the second innings as Gujarat Titans got over the line.

Ruturaj Gaikwad opens up on his slow innings in CSK vs GT

Ruturaj Gaikwad anchored the innings with an unbeaten 74 off 60 balls, helping CSK reach 158 in 20 overs. His knock came under pressure after early wickets derailed momentum badly.

CSK were struggling at 37 for 4 around the halfway mark, leaving Gaikwad to rebuild cautiously. At one stage, he was on 20 off 36 balls, which raised concerns among fans and experts.

He focused on batting deep, stitching a couple of crucial partnerships and guiding the innings towards a fighting total which eventually was not enough.

After the loss, Ruturaj Gaikwad, speaking to the broadcasters, explained the reason behind his controversial approach against Gujarat Titans.

“Sometimes I hate to assess like that, but the pitch was challenging, with inconsistent pace and uneven bounce. If we hadn’t lost early wickets, we could’ve reached 170-180,” Gaikwad said after the match.

The CSK captain pointed out that the surface made stroke-making difficult, with uneven bounce and variable pace disrupting timing. He felt conditions demanded to bat him cautiously.

Gaikwad also admitted that the loss of regular wickets didn’t help the cause, making acceleration risky. With no partnerships developing, he had to focus on staying there in the first half, before pushing aggressively at the end.

CSK’s terrible powerplay batting cost them the match

CSK’s defeat was largely shaped by a disastrous powerplay batting, where early wickets derailed the innings. Ruturaj Gaikwad was left to rebuild, preventing what could have been a far more embarrassing collapse.

The CSK top-order struggled against Gujarat Titans’ pace attack, failing to adjust to extra bounce. Instead of settling in, batters played rash shots, losing wickets quickly without building any meaningful partnerships.

Gaikwad, who began positively, had to shift gears and anchor the innings despite being short of runs in IPL 2026. His measured knock ensured CSK reached a respectable total, bringing up his first half-century of the season.

Gujarat Titans back to winning ways in style

After suffering two consecutive defeats, Gujarat Titans bounced back strongly with a dominant all-round performance. Opting to bowl first, their bowlers restricted CSK to 158, well below a competitive total.

In the chase, Sai Sudharsan starred with a brilliant 87, guiding Gujarat Titans comfortably. The top-order batters showed control and intent, sealing GT’s 4th win of the season, while pushing CSK to a tough road ahead for IPL playoffs qualification.

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