Ruturaj Gaikwad played a match-winning knock of 50-ball 70 in Qualifier 1 against Delhi Capitals.
Chasing 173 to win, CSK lost Faf du Plessis (1) cheaply but the duo of Gaikwad (70 off 50 balls) and Robin Uthappa (63 off 44 balls) added 110 runs for the second wicket to put the team in a strong position before MS Dhoni (18* off 6 balls) played a stunning cameo to overhaul the target with two balls to spare.
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For his match-winning knock, Gaikwad earned the Player-of-the-Match award and he credited the CSK skipper Dhoni’s encouraging words that had kept him going in the IPL 2021 season.
With 603 runs to his name from 15 innings, Ruturaj occupies the second spot in the list of top run-getters in the IPL 2021.
“Every time, Dhoni tries to encourage me and start afresh (in) every game, keep up the form. (He tells me to) learn from every game and move forward. He said to try and finish the game. It is what separates good players from normal players. I am just looking to learn as much as possible till he is here," Gaikwad said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
He also reflected on his partnership with Uthappa on a wicket that was holding a bit.
“Powerplay was a crucial stage and the wicket was holding a little bit. We had to get off to a good start. Robin (Uthappa) batted really well, he took on the bowlers and it got a little bit easier for me to stay till the end and bat throughout the innings. At times, you have to take the odd risk. I plan for 2-3 overs, think of who is likely to bowl and who I can target, big-short boundary; who I can target better.
“You have to be crystal clear, go through the process, take one over at a time and ensure that the required rate doesn’t go up too much and take it deep," Gaikwad stated.
With this victory, Chennai Super Kings have qualified for the IPL 2021 final. It will be CSK’s 9th appearance in the IPL final when they take the field for the summit clash on October 15.
(With IANS inputs)