Chennai, April 26 (IANS) Middle-order batter Shivam Dube acknowledged that a sluggish start hurt Chennai Super Kings’ batting effort but felt the side recovered well to post a competitive total against Gujarat Titans in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.

Reflecting on the innings after the first half, Dube pointed out the contrast between the slow start and the eventual finish. “The first 10 overs, we did not have a good start, but after that, we came to 159, an amazing score. 159 is one of the best scores I feel over there. It’s not easy with the fast bowler as well as with the spinner,” he told the broadcasters.

CSK had struggled early on, losing wickets in the powerplay and finding run-scoring difficult on a surface that offered assistance to both seamers and spinners. Dube elaborated on the pitch’s nature, highlighting its uneven behaviour.

“The ball is not coming evenly. It’s up and down, especially with the fast bowlers. Holder was bowling really well. Arshad bowled really well. It was coming fast and coming slow as well,” he said, referring to Jason Holder and Arshad Khan, who kept the CSK batters in check during the middle overs.

Amid the challenging conditions, Dube stitched a crucial partnership with skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad to stabilise the innings. He explained that their focus was on batting deep rather than taking undue risks early.

“At that time, we wanted both of us to bat at least till 15-16 overs. That was more important. So that was the plan at that time to bat deep and try to get those boundaries in the middle. That was more important.”

The left-hander also spoke about his evolving approach against pace bowling, an area he has been working on to expand his game.

“It’s something I’m learning much from my side. I play fast bowlers. I try to dominate fast bowlers as well now.”

CSK finished at 158/7, a total that could prove difficult to defend against GT at the venue.

–IANS

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