Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad said he remained “still proud of the boys” after CSK went down by five wickets to Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai on Monday, even as the chase remained firmly in the balance until the closing overs. Sunrisers successfully hunted down 181 in 19 overs, powered by Ishan Kishan’s composed 70 off 47 balls and Heinrich Klaasen’s 47, a combination that not only sealed the win but also confirmed SRH’s qualification for the IPL 2026 playoffs alongside Gujarat Titans.
Gaikwad, speaking after the match, felt CSK were competitive right to the end and had been positioned well for much of the chase. He noted that the game stayed tight through the innings and that the pitch appeared to offer consistent conditions rather than changing dramatically as play progressed. In his view, 180 was close to a par target when setting out to bat second in a T20 contest, and while CSK “missed out on a few,” the captain insisted the effort deserved pride.
Delving into CSK’s bowling and momentum shifts, the CSK skipper suggested the side failed to convert key wickets into sustained pressure. He argued that the crucial part comes immediately after taking a wicket, when the bowling unit should ideally tighten the screws and make scoring difficult for the opposition. Gaikwad felt CSK were not able to do that consistently, particularly after losing a wicket, which allowed Sunrisers to keep building their chase.
Despite the defeat and the fact that CSK had to navigate a season without some key names, Gaikwad highlighted the positives and the willingness shown by the group available to him. He said that, considering the squad size and the combinations they had to work with, he still believed the team had performed well. When asked about whether the side could build on the same foundation heading into next year, the captain was optimistic, pointing to the direction of travel and the encouraging contributions coming from within the group, including the impact of Sanju Samson and Kartik Sharma’s standout knock during the match.
Gaikwad also acknowledged that missing certain players affected the balance of the playing XI, and that finding like-for-like replacements is not always straightforward. He said CSK had to look at where those exact options could come from after being without some members who were part of the starting group earlier in the season. Still, he stressed that, with whatever squad was at hand, everyone gave their best on the day, and once again underlined that he was proud of the effort.
After another campaign where CSK struggled at home, Gaikwad took time to thank the supporters. He spoke warmly about the fans who travel and show up “through the thick and thin,” saying that while CSK had lost a couple of matches at home, the performances compared to the previous year had been better. He also promised that coming back to Chennai next season would bring a stronger unit.
Earlier in the game, Sunrisers chose to bowl and limited CSK to 180 for 7. Pat Cummins was the most effective bowler with figures of 3/28, while Gaikwad contributed 15 off 21 balls. Sanju Samson got CSK off to a quick start with boundaries against Nitish Kumar Reddy and Praful Hinge before Cummins removed him. Dewald Brevis struck 44 from 27 deliveries and added 59 runs with Shivam Dube, but CSK ultimately could not reach the 200-run mark as Sunrisers defended the total with ease in the second half.
