Chennai Super Kings (CSK) registered a comprehensive 28-run victory over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Match 53 of the IPL 2024 season in Dharamsala on Sunday (May 5).
Invited to bat first, the defending champions posted 167/9 in their allotted 20 overs, courtesy of key contributions from Ravindra Jadeja (43 off 26), Ruturaj Gaikwad (32 off 21) and Daryl Mitchell (30 off 19).
Defending the total, CSK restricted PBKS to 139/9. Jajdeja starred with the ball as well, returning with the figures of 3/20 in his four overs. Simarjeet Singh and Tushar Deshpande also picked up a couple of scalps each.
After the game, CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad admitted that he thought his team was about 10 runs short of an ideal total against PBKS.
"Everyone believed that the wicket was slow and the ball was coming off slow. There was low bounce too. With the start we got, we could have pushed to 180-200. We lost wickets in consecutive balls and then felt 160-170 was probably ten odd runs short," said Gaikwad in the post-match presentation.
Simarjeet made an impact with his pace after he came in as an Impact Player, replacing Ajinkya Rahane.
"I don't know what he is doing but in the pre-season we had, he was bowling at around 150s. We had Deepak (Chahar), Shardul (Thakur), Tushar (Deshpande) plus (Matheesha) Pathirana and Fizz (Mustafizur Rahman), so he did not get too many chances. Nothing is late, he got a game today,” Gaikwad said.
"We were thinking of sending an impact batter but we thought the impact batter would score 10-15 runs but the bowler might get us two-three wickets," he further remarked.
Just like Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja also felt that the Super Kings were around 15-20 runs short and credited the bowlers for securing a convincing victory.
"We thought we were 15-20 runs short but we did not bowl loose balls in the power play and in the middle overs," Jadeja said in the post-match interaction.
"The fast bowlers bowled well in the power play. Tushar got two important wickets and then Mitch and me did the job in the middle overs."
According to Jadeja, it was tricky batting in the middle overs at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.
"It was a day game, so the wicket was slow. As usual, it was expected because it was so hot. It (the pitch) always seems flat in the power play. But when the ball gets old, it does not always come on. When playing at a new venue, you don't know how much it will turn or stop.
"My role as a batter is to build partnerships and then play the big shots towards the end. Sometimes, when we lose wickets in the power play, we do not get momentum. In the matches we win, we play all phases well," said Jadeja.
With this victory, CSK moved to the third spot in the team standings and enhanced their playoffs chances. They have 12 points to their name from 11 games.
CSK will next face Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday (May 10).
(With PTI Inputs)
