Chennai, May 10 Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad expressed delight after his side pulled off a rare 200-plus chase, saying he was pleased to hunt down 204 after beating Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by five wickets in a high‑scoring Indian Premier League (IPL) clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.
Sunday’s victory, led by Urvil Patel’s record 13-ball fifty, marked CSK’s first successful pursuit of a score above 180 since 2019 and lifted them to fifth spot on the points table, after completing the chase with four balls to spare.
“Yes (got too close), but at the end, chasing 200, when you start the innings, it will always go to the 18th or the 19th or the 20th over. We started really well in the Power-play, but it was a bit tacky for a new batter to just go in and play the shots.
“But it's important that we get the job done. It's been a while since we chased 200, so good to chase it,” Gaikwad said after the match ended, in the post-match presentation ceremony.
He also praised his bowlers, led by Jamie Overton’s three-fer, for pulling things back after LSG’s flying start, with Josh Inglis hitting a blistering 85, and revealed that a crucial message from Sanju Samson during the first strategic time‑out helped galvanise the team.
“But after the first time‑out, Sanju just came in, and he said, if we have it in us, we have to make a comeback here and try and restrict them as low as possible. So whatever around 220, it was still fine. So I think that just pumped us, everyone. And after that, it was just about getting those wickets, slowly getting into the game.”
“So I think everyone was eager to make a comeback after the first time‑out, and I feel that's the commitment or that determination really changed the course of the game. It was just about getting your bowlers right, how you can attack from one end, how you can be defensive from one end.
“And we thought they were very much ahead, 15, 20, or 30 runs ahead after Power-play. So we thought, let's get our best bowlers for the next three or four overs and see how it goes after that. And I think that six to ten overs, Noor and Jamie bowled really well. They just pulled it back really well,” Gaikwad explained.
At the same time, Gaikwad credited Inglis for hitting an explosive 85. “Huge credit and hats off to Josh. I think he played some amazing shots, which we actually didn't have any answer to, and you can't quite plan for it, or you can't quite set a field for it. He just played an amazing knock. Hats off to him.”
Looking ahead, Gaikwad stressed the importance of good recovery, especially with CSK now set to travel to Lucknow to meet LSG in the reverse fixture on May 15. “Well, some of the guys need that break. It's been hot in this side of the country, and it's humid, so it's really tough to play in this heat for 20 overs. Most of them are playing here for the first time.
“So we needed that break, and whatever break we have, we are going to take it in. But we are gonna be making sure that we are ticking the boxes in whatever time we have in the practice sessions, and making sure that we improve whatever we want to in every department possible.
“We worked on quite a few areas this break, and I think it came off really well. Still three games to go, but it is just about keeping it simple, keeping it simple as long as possible. I know it's easy to say at times when you're under pressure or under the pump, but that's our mantra, and we are going to stick to it,” he concluded.
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