"Could have contributed more": CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 6 (ANI): Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad admitted that missed opportunities cost his side a 43-run defeat during their clash against the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 on Sunday.
Reflecting on the loss, Gaikwad acknowledged the fighting effort from the middle and lower order. "Well, even I was surprised, to be honest. Great fight by Sarfaraz Khan, Prashant Veer, Jamie Overton, and even to some extent Shivam Dube. So I think maybe I could have contributed more at the top. You never know, we would have chased it down," he said during the post-match presentation.
Gaikwad also pointed to key turning points, including missed chances in the field. "If we had taken the early chance of Virat Kohli, maybe the momentum would have been with us. I think we still had the game in our hands till the 13th or 14th over, and that's when the momentum really shifted," he added.
He further praised RCB's batting, particularly the impact of Tim David, noting how the batter capitalised after an early reprieve. "Anshul almost got a wicket of him, but it turned out to be an illegal delivery. After that, he just smacked all over the park. Hats off to him," Gaikwad said.
The highlight was a blistering 99-run partnership between David and Patidar, while earlier contributions from Phil Salt (46) and Virat Kohli (28) provided a solid platform.
In response, CSK struggled to keep up with the steep target after losing early wickets, with their top order collapsing to 30 runs. Though Sarfaraz Khan (50 off 25), Prashant Veer (43), and Jamie Overton (37) offered resistance, the required run rate proved too demanding, and CSK were bowled out for 207 in 19.4 overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar led the bowling attack with 3/41 and also became only the second bowler--and first pacer--to reach 200 IPL wickets.
The defeat marked CSK's third consecutive loss of the season, placing them at the bottom of the table, while RCB continued their strong start with back-to-back wins, moving to the top of the standings with an impressive net run rate. (ANI)