Ruturaj Gaikwad’s IPL struggles have become impossible to ignore, and the Chennai Super Kings skipper’s latest outing only added to the pressure. So far, his batting returns have read 6, 28, 7, 15 and 7, numbers that hardly lift the spirits of a CSK side already battling to find consistency in the lower half of the points table. On Tuesday, Gaikwad was dismissed early when Kolkata Knight Riders spinner Anukul Roy sent him back for 7 off 15 balls in the third over. The shot was a slog-sweep attempt, but the ball was comfortably collected by Rovman Powell at deep mid-wicket, leaving CSK to rue another failed start.
The concern didn’t stay confined to Gaikwad’s own batting. During the fourth over of KKR’s chase, he also let a straightforward chance slip while Sunil Narine was on strike, a moment that turned the mood in the stadium instantly. Anshul Kamboj had already begun celebrating, but the catch was dropped, and the replay-worthy miss underlined why CSK’s fielding and batting together have been under scrutiny. For CSK supporters—and even for Sanju Samson, watching from the same side of the stands—it was a moment that felt difficult to believe.
Kolkata Knight Riders, meanwhile, delivered one of their most disciplined bowling performances of the season, leaning heavily on the spin unit of Narine, Anukul Roy and Varun Chakaravarthy. Their work helped keep CSK to a workable total of 192 for five in the match played here on Tuesday. After Samson struck 48 off 32 balls and Ayush Mhatre added 38 off 17, the partnership propelled the innings to 72 for two at the end of the powerplay. From there, the KKR spinners tightened the screws further.
Narine produced 1/21 from his four overs, Anukul Roy returned figures of 1/21 in three, and Varun Chakaravarthy finished with 0/26 in three as well. Collectively, they conceded just 68 runs in the 10 overs after the powerplay while also taking two wickets, ensuring CSK couldn’t build any late momentum. In the 14 overs beyond the initial phase, CSK managed only 120 runs—at a rate below nine per over—and the pattern of the innings made the spinners the clear difference-makers.
At the back end, Kartik Tyagi offered a different threat with pace and variation. He delivered 2/35 in his four overs, bowling fast in the late 140s, and also disrupted timing by mixing cutters and deliveries outside the batter’s typical arc. Even with those efforts, CSK still had to defend a total that felt at least 20 runs short of par on a track that didn’t fully reward the batters.
Dewald Brevis showed flashes of quality with a knock of 41 off 29, while Sarfaraz Khan once again displayed his sharp instincts with 23 off 18. Their contributions helped CSK reach 192, but the overall build-up suggested the innings never truly settled. Early on, Samson did provide a strong start, hitting three boundaries in his spell—including a streaky four off Vaibhav Arora in the opening over—to set a platform for CSK to chase.
However, the momentum shifted decisively when Ayush Mhatre took over. The U-19 World Cup-winning captain lifted the tempo immediately, striking back-to-back sixes off Cameron Green while also clearing the ropes with a couple of additional boundaries. The highlight of his innings was a Kapil Dev-esque ‘Nataraja Shot’ behind square, a creative hit that drew attention, and he followed it with another open-chested six over mid-wicket. That burst of power gave CSK the impetus they needed, even if Samson’s role became more secondary during that phase.
While Mhatre’s knock was not a perfectly smooth one, he still showed clear timing, including a straight six off Tyagi. Tyagi later attempted to make amends by landing a fast 148.1 delivery cutter that forced Samson to reassess his defence. The Chepauk surface itself added to the challenge, described by two-paced conditions where the ball occasionally gripped and arrived late onto the bat. That environment suited KKR’s three-pronged spin attack—Anukul, Narine and Chakravarthy—which found enough turn and control to slow CSK’s run flow after the powerplay, with Tyagi complementing the spinners brilliantly.
