Hyderabad, April 18 (IANS) Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad admitted that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fell short in the middle overs with the bat despite a strong effort with the ball, after their 10-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in match 27 of the Indian Premier League 2026 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Saturday.

Reflecting on the game, Gaikwad said CSK had done well to restrict SRH after a flying start. “Looking at how their power play went, I was looking at a score around 220-230. To pull it back by 30 runs, I would have taken it any day under 200,” he said after the match.

SRH were powered by half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen to post 194/9, but CSK’s bowlers, led by Jamie Overton and Anshul Kamboj, pulled things back impressively at the death.

Chasing 195, CSK got off to a brisk start but lost wickets at key moments. Despite contributions from the middle order, they slipped behind the required rate and eventually finished on 184/8, falling short by 10 runs. Eshan Malinga was the standout for SRH with three wickets.

Gaikwad pointed to a crucial phase after the halfway mark as the turning point. “It was just about 80 runs needed in 10 overs. From there, it was just about building a couple of partnerships. We scored just 4 runs in the next 2 overs after the 10-over mark. Chasing 12-13 at the death is going to be difficult,” he explained.

Despite the loss, the CSK skipper praised his bowling unit for consistent performances. “It’s been three successive games that the bowling unit has been doing really well. Even in the power play today, I thought Abhishek played brilliantly. I think everyone did a good job with the ball,” he said.

Gaikwad also had special praise for Kamboj’s composure in pressure situations. “He is working really hard on his bowling, especially at the death. Very rarely you get bowlers who have clarity and tell the captain that I know what to do,” he added.

With this loss, CSK has moved down to seventh spot in the points table with four points in six matches. They will next face the Mumbai Indians (MI) on April 23.

–IANS

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