New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) Former India leg-spinner Piyush Chawla has lauded Ruturaj Gaikwad’s tactical acumen in their 32-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026, lauding the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper’s ‘smart’ bowling rotations and usage of Khaleel Ahmed and Anshul Kamboj for dismantling openers Finn Allen and Sunil Narine.

Gaikwad’s decision to withhold spinner Akeal Hosein during the powerplay to counter KKR’s strategy of using Sunil Narine as an aggressor paid off when Khaleel dismissed him in the fifth over, while Kamboj took out Allen cheaply as KKR lost their way and eventually made 160/7 in response to CSK’s 192/5.

“Akeal Hosein did not come to bowl in the first six overs because KKR sent Sunil Narine to open, hoping to exploit Akeal. But Ruturaj was smart. As soon as he saw Narine coming out to open, he used Khaleel Ahmed and Anshul Kamboj with the new ball.

“That was a really good piece of captaincy because both bowlers got rid of KKR’s opening pair of Finn Allen and Narine. As soon as Narine was dismissed, Akeal Hosein was brought into the attack and he did his job brilliantly,” said Chawla on Star Sports.

He also felt that Gaikwad’s refusal to let the game drift was the hallmark of a leading captain. “The way Ruturaj rotated his bowlers was really good to watch. He was just going for the kill, and that is what you want from your captain.

“As a captain, your thought process should be to go for the kill because when you are taking wickets, you are building pressure on the batting team. When Noor Ahmad and Akeal Hosein were bowling together, Ruturaj made sure the game did not go too deep. He just wanted to finish it off soon, and that is exactly what he did,” he added.

Chawla also pointed out how the addition of Hosein has improved CSK’s bowling returns in power-play. “Akeal Hosein is bowling really well. Earlier, when he was not in the playing XI, CSK’s bowling was not looking up to the mark.

“But once he came into the team, the powerplay overs where CSK was struggling and conceding a lot of runs, he began controlling those. We know what he is capable of. What he has done in the powerplays over the years for different teams and here in the IPL, he made the opposition players feel his impact,” he said.

Despite being denied more wickets due to CSK’s lapses in the field, Chawla maintained that Hosein’s discipline remained the standout feature of his spell. “He just comes and bowls good lengths and good lines. He does not give batters anything to hit easily. He was unlucky against KKR because two catches got dropped off his bowling. Otherwise, he could have had two or three wickets in his kitty. But he bowled brilliantly.”

–IANS

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