Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) took on KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in match 39 of the Indian Premier League 2024 (IPL 2024) on Tuesday, April 23 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Chepauk.
After being invited to bat first in the match, CSK lost the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane for 1. The batsmen, Daryl Mitchell and Ravindra Jadeja, failed to make significant contributions with the bat, but then came Shivam Dube, who provided sensational support to Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Ruturaj Gaikwad paced his innings to perfection and turned his half-century into a three-figure score, while Shivam Dube (66 off 27) blasted a fifty. Gaikwad finished with 108 runs off 60 balls as CSK posted a huge total of 210/4 on the board.
Defending the score, CSK reduced LSG to 33/2 but Marcus Stoinis played one of the best T20 innings of his career and got the team out of trouble. He was involved in some brilliant partnerships that got LSG back into the game.
Marcus Stoinis remained unbeaten till the end and blasted 124 runs off 63 balls, with 13 fours and 6 sixes, to complete the chase in 19.3 overs and take his team to a remarkable 6-wicket victory.
Speaking after the match, Ruturaj Gaikwad termed the defeat a tough pill to swallow but praised Marcus Stoinis for his stupendous innings. Ruturaj Gaikwad said:
“Tough pill to swallow but good cricket. LSG played very well at the back. We were in control of the game till 13-14 overs but Stoinis played a great innings.”
Ruturaj Gaikwad also said that dew played a role in CSK’s defeat as it took their spinners out of the game. Ruturaj Gaikwad stated:
“(On dew) It had an influence, there was a lot of dew and it took our spinners out of the game. Otherwise we could have controlled the game better and gone deeper. But these are parts of the game, right?” I don’t control it.
Ruturaj Gaikwad once again answered the burning question regarding Ravindra Jadeja’s promotion to No. 4, delaying Shivam Dube’s arrival in the middle. Ruturaj Gaikwad claimed that they promoted Jadeja because they lost the second wicket in the powerplay. He also talked about Dube’s batting position. He said:
“Jaddu is batting at number 4 since we lost the second wicket inside the powerplay. (On Dube’s entry point). Our thinking is clear that after the powerplay, if there is a wicket, Shivam will come out to bat. We cannot force to the batsmen. To be honest, I thought our target was not enough, it was almost there due to the dew we have seen during our practice sessions, but the credit goes to the way LSG batted.
Chennai Super Kings home performance in IPL 2024 ahead of Lucknow Super Giants clash
CSK began their IPL 2024 season by defeating Faf du Plessis-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at their fortress, Chepauk, by 6 wickets. By bowling first they stopped RCB to a total of 173/6 and then completed the chase in 19 overs with Mustafizur Rahman winning the Man of the Match for his brilliant bowling performance.
Chennai Super Kings then defeated former IPL champions Gujarat Titans and Kolkata Knight Riders by 63 runs and 7 wickets respectively to complete a hat-trick of home wins. Against GT, Shivam Dube was awarded Man of the Match for his incredible half-century, and in the clash against KKR, it was Ravindra Jadeja’s stellar performance with the ball that earned him the award.