Chennai, April 4: In the seventh match of IPL 2026, Punjab Kings defeated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by five wickets. Following this second consecutive loss of the season, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad stated that the poor performance of the team’s spinners significantly impacted CSK’s chances. Punjab Kings successfully chased down the target of 210 runs in just 18.4 overs, losing five wickets in the process.
After the defeat against Punjab Kings, Ruturaj expressed, “To be honest, I thought it was a very good score. The wicket was better for fast bowlers, but I felt it had some grip for spinners. The ball wasn’t coming onto the bat well. Even the slower balls were gripping. Given the size of the boundaries, I truly believed it was a solid score.”
Regarding the decision to bring in Rahul Chahar as an impact player, Ruturaj said, “Yes, we felt we had three fast bowlers, and obviously, we had two good wrist spinners working together, especially in the middle overs after the powerplay. We thought this would help. However, I believe it was a tough day for Noor Ahmad and Rahul Chahar. This is why I think we faced a setback.”
Discussing the bowlers’ performance, Ruturaj noted, “I think our bowlers had a mixed performance. At times, we bowled really well, but at other times, we didn’t bowl at the right moments. Just when an over was going well, we would concede a six or a four. Therefore, I feel we couldn’t build the pressure properly.”
He further added, “There was a point when the run rate reached 11 runs per over, and then perhaps we had some good overs afterward. It could have gone up to 12 or 13. That’s how you gain momentum. So, I think we missed that momentum in the middle overs. It was definitely a challenging match, but as I said, there were many positive aspects as well.”
Ruturaj praised the batsmen’s performance, stating that such displays would boost their confidence moving forward.
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