Chennai, May 19 (IANS) Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad praised his team’s fighting effort despite suffering a five-wicket defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Match 63 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Monday.

The loss daunted five-time champion CSK’s playoff hopes, while Sunrisers Hyderabad booked their place in the IPL 2026 playoffs after successfully chasing down 181 with six balls to spare.

Speaking after the match, Gaikwad said CSK remained in the contest for most of the chase and credited his players for showing character despite missing several key players during the season.

“Good game of cricket. We were in the game until the second-last over. Good T20 pitch. Didn’t change over the course of the game. Just missed out on a few. Just cashing in on the opportunity could have been done,” Gaikwad said after the match.

Batting first, Chennai Super Kings posted 180/7 in 20 overs with Dewald Brevis top-scoring with 44 runs. Sanju Samson provided a strong start with a quick 27, while Kartik Sharma and Shivam Dube also made useful contributions.

However, SRH chased down the target comfortably through Ishan Kishan’s match-winning 70 and Heinrich Klaasen’s aggressive 47-run knock.

Despite the defeat, Gaikwad said he was proud of the effort shown by the squad, especially considering the challenges faced by the team this season. “Still, given the team we had and the limited squad, I’m still proud and feel we did well. A lot of positives, to be honest,” he added.

Gaikwad also praised wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson for his performances during the tournament and highlighted the support received from Chennai fans throughout the season.

“Sanju has been playing really well for us. Missed out on a few key players. Obviously, it depends on a lot of factors. Everyone gave their heart out today, and I’m proud of the boys,” he said. “The crowd and the fans we have, they support us through thick and thin. Compared to last year, we were very much better this year,” Gaikwad added.

After the loss, CSK are still present at sixth position in the points table with 12 points in 13 matches. They will next face the Gujarat Titans in their last group stage match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on 21 May.

–IANS

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