Former India off-spinner R Ashwin has suggested that Chennai Super Kings\u2019 captain Ruturaj Gaikwad missed a prime opportunity to find rhythm in the IPL clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The match swung after Ayush Mhatre launched an eye-catching cameo, with SRH eventually beating CSK by 10 runs in Hyderabad on Saturday.<\/p>\n
After getting their innings underway, Sunrisers Hyderabad posted 194\/9. The total was powered by two brisk half-century efforts from Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen, which gave SRH a firm base before the late acceleration.<\/p>\n
With the chase in front of them, CSK could not chase down the required rate despite Mhatre\u2019s innings being finished at the right time for SRH. Mhatre made an impact in the CSK innings as well, striking a 13-ball 30, but the overall momentum did not stay with the chasing side.<\/p>\n
Sunrisers Hyderabad managed to rein in CSK, restricting them to 184\/8. The decisive factor, Ashwin argued, was the pressure created by the SRH bowlers once the innings needed to accelerate further.<\/p>\n
Ashwin felt Gaikwad\u2019s start was an opening to rebuild confidence, especially given how the chase was developing around Ayush Mhatre. In his assessment, the captain did not need to force the tempo immediately; instead, he had the space to settle, score steadily, and then use his timing as the innings progressed.<\/p>\n
He also pointed to what happened after Mhatre\u2019s dismissal, implying that Gaikwad faced a difficult moment with a quality ball and struggled to respond. Ashwin added that Gaikwad appears to be carrying substantial pressure, with his decision-making possibly affected.<\/p>\n
Ashwin\u2019s comments came as Gaikwad continues to endure one of his hardest spells in IPL cricket. In the 2026 season, Gaikwad has scored only 82 runs across his first six matches, with his average sitting at 13.67 and his strike rate at 112.33.<\/p>\n
While Malinga stood out with the ball for SRH, Praful Hinge drew attention for his own roller-coaster start. Hinge had begun his IPL journey with a historic three-wicket opening over, but in his next game he went for plenty of runs. Despite the setback, SRH\u2019s bowling coach Varun Aaron defended his approach and framed him as a long-term prospect.<\/p>\n
Aaron highlighted Malinga\u2019s underrated value to the bowling group, stressing that the youngster\u2019s effectiveness grows further when the ball reverses, particularly as the innings moves toward the death overs.<\/p>\n
On Hinge, Aaron used the nature of T20 cricket to explain why swings in performance happen. He pointed out that a batter can take three wickets in the first over on one day, and then be punished for runs in another over the next day. Aaron framed it as part of the learning curve and said Hinge\u2019s character showed through when he managed to execute yorkers under pressure and stage a comeback in the final over despite earlier struggles.<\/p>\n
In the day\u2019s first match, David Miller provided a redemption story of his own. He struck two sixes in the final over to steer Delhi Capitals to a tense victory over RCB, after failing to finish off a previous game against Gujarat Titans where only two runs were needed off two balls.<\/p>\n
Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara praised Miller\u2019s turnaround for DC in the pressure phase against RCB. Pujara emphasized how a single big over can shift the mental balance of a chase, and he singled out the first six.<\/p>\n
Delhi Capitals managed to overhaul the target with composure, scoring 15 runs in the last over. They won the match by six wickets against RCB after Miller\u2019s late hitting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Former India off-spinner R Ashwin has suggested that Chennai Super Kings\u2019 captain Ruturaj Gaikwad missed a prime opportunity to find rhythm in the IPL clash…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3744,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"R Ashwin Questions Ruturaj Gaikwad After CSK vs SRH","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"R Ashwin questions Ruturaj Gaikwad\u2019s batting as CSK falters vs SRH\u2014Ayush Mhatre\u2019s cameo helps Hyderabad secure a 10-run win in IPL.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3745","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n