Ruturaj Gaikwad hits out at batting lapse after SRH loss, but praises bowlers’ fight: 'Chasing 12-13 at death is tough'

Ruturaj Gaikwad was fairly optimistic about his bowling unit, praising the way they pulled things back after a tough start in the powerplay.

Chennai Super Kings’ struggles in IPL 2026 continued as they went down to Sunrisers Hyderabad, adding another loss to a disappointing campaign. Things haven’t quite clicked for CSK, with both batting and bowling falling short at key moments. The absence of MS Dhoni has been evident, especially in chases where the side has failed to close out games. Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad has also looked under pressure in crunch situations, while the bowling unit hasn’t delivered consistently either. With results not going their way, CSK are still searching for answers as the season progresses.

The pressure is mounting on Ruturaj Gaikwad. (AFP)

Meanwhile, despite the defeat, Ruturaj was fairly upbeat about his bowling unit, praising the way they pulled things back after a tough start in the powerplay, where Abhishek Sharma went after them. Even after the early setback, they regrouped well and managed to restrict SRH to under 200, around 30 runs short of what had looked like a par score at one stage.

"Looking at how their powerplay went, I was looking at a score around 220-230. To pull it back by 30 runs, I would have taken it any day under 200," the CSK skipper said after the match.

He further reflected on CSK’s chase and how quickly things slipped away despite being in a strong position at the halfway stage, highlighting the lack of partnerships and the scoring slowdown that cost them the game.

"It was just about 80 runs needed in 10 overs (with the bat). From there, it was just about building a couple of partnerships. We scored just 4 runs in the next 2 overs after the 10-over mark. Chasing 12-13 at the death is going to be tough," he added.

“Bowling unit has been doing well”

Meanwhile, he suggested that bowlers even stick to their plans in the powerplay vs SRH, but it was Abhishek who played a sensational knock.

"It's been three successive games that the bowling unit has been doing really well. Even the powerplay today I thought Abhishek played brilliantly. I think everyone did a good job with the ball," he added.

The skipper had special praise for Anshul Kamboj, highlighting the youngster’s growing maturity and clarity in execution, particularly in pressure situations at the death.

"He (Anshul Kamboj) is working really on his bowling, especially the death bowling. Very rarely you get bowlers who have clarity and tell the captain that I know what to do, this is what I am going to do," he concluded.