Chennai, April 4: In the seventh match of IPL 2026, Punjab Kings defeated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by five wickets. Following this second consecutive loss of the season, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad stated that the poor performance of the team’s spinners significantly impacted CSK’s chances. Punjab Kings successfully chased down the target of 210 runs in just 18.4 overs, losing five wickets in the process.
After the defeat against Punjab Kings, Ruturaj expressed, “To be honest, I felt it was a really good score. The wicket was better for fast bowlers, but I thought it had some grip for the spinners, and the ball wasn’t coming onto the bat well. Even the slower balls were gripping. So, considering this ground, especially with the big boundaries, I felt it was indeed a very good score.”
Regarding the decision to bring in Rahul Chahar as an impact player, Ruturaj said, “Yes, we felt we had three fast bowlers, and obviously, we had two good wrist spinners bowling together, especially in the middle overs after the powerplay. We thought this would help. However, I think it was a bit of a tough day for Noor Ahmad and Rahul Chahar, which is why I believe we suffered.”
Discussing the bowlers’ performance, Ruturaj noted, “I think our bowlers had a mixed performance. At times, we bowled very well, but sometimes we didn’t bowl at the right times. Just when the over was going well, we would concede a six or a four. Therefore, I feel we couldn’t build the pressure effectively.”
He further added, “There was a point when the run rate reached 11 runs per over, and then perhaps after that, we had a few good overs. It could have gone up to 12 or 13. That’s how you gain momentum. So, I think we missed that momentum in the middle overs. It was definitely a tough match, but as I said, there were many positive aspects as well.”
Ruturaj praised the performance of the batsmen, stating that such displays would boost their confidence moving forward.