Ruturaj Gaikwad, the captain of Chennai Super Kings, expressed his disappointment with his toss record following CSK’s loss to PBKS. Despite practicing tosses, Gaikwad admitted that he hasn’t had luck on his side during matches, adding to the pressure he feels.
In the recent match, Gaikwad once again found himself on the losing end of the toss, marking the ninth time in 10 matches this season. Gaikwad, who took over as CSK’s captain at the start of IPL 2024, has struggled to win tosses, with luck seemingly favoring the opposition captain each time.
Punjab Kings skipper Sam Curran won the toss at the MA Chidambaram Stadium and chose to field, a decision that proved advantageous as PBKS secured a seven-wicket victory. Chasing 163, PBKS reached 163/3 in 17.5 overs, powered by strong performances from Jonny Bairstow (46) and Rilee Rossouw (43). CSK, on the other hand, was restricted to 162/7 in 20 overs, with Rahul Chahar and Harpreet Brar taking two wickets each.
Reflecting on the match, Gaikwad lamented his misfortune with tosses despite practicing them regularly. “Probably 50-60 runs short, the pitch wasn’t great when we batted, it got better later on. With the impact rule as well, we were well short. I’ve practiced the tosses during the practice sessions, it’s not going well in the match, not sure what to do. To be truthful, I’m under pressure when I go to the middle for the toss,” he said.
Despite the loss, Gaikwad praised his team’s efforts and remained optimistic about their performance in the remaining matches of the season. Gaikwad has been in excellent form with the bat, leading the Orange Cap race with 509 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 146.68, including a century and four half-centuries. Despite the defeat, CSK maintained their fourth position in the IPL 2024 points table, while PBKS climbed to seventh place.
