It was a throwback night at Chepauk on Tuesday (April 14), as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) registered a 32-run win against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Having lost their first three games of the season, the five-time champions have now managed to eke out two wins on the bounce. Momentum? Slightly!
The pitch was the centre of attraction in the fixture. Having seen a flat batting surface in the previous two games this year and a majority of the international fixtures recently, another belter seemed on the cards. When CSK rattled past 70 in the first six overs, it looked to be the truth once again.
However, as the ball got softer, the black soil surface showed its true nature with the pitch slowing down. It was still a fair batting deck, but the odd ball was gripping off the deck. Due to their outstanding powerplay, CSK were able to get to 192 even with a slowdown in the back half. For KKR to have a chance, they needed to ace their powerplay but that wasn't to be.
Once KKR's powerplay fell apart, there was no real chance of getting back in the chase. Not with the batting unit they had at their disposal. The visitors have their issues against spin and have often struggled in the middle overs. The dearth of left-handers, bar Rinku Singh, is also an issue.
Noor Ahmad and Akeal Hosein choked the run flow in typical CSK fashion, but it was a style of victory that the franchise hadn't seen recently. Six home defeats in a row is never ideal, and while one victory doesn't change things overnight, CSK do have some kind of momentum and self-belief now. However, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad's form is a concern.
Five games into the season, and it's not the lack of runs that's been shocking but the shortage of intent. For a free-flowing stroke player, Gaikwad has looked very tentative and short on confidence. Mhatre's continuous onslaughts are only adding pressure on the skipper, and it might be time for a batting order rejig.
Mhatre is a powerplay destroyer, as is Sanju Samson and CSK would do well to pair them together at the top. It should have been the move to start the season, but then, better late than never. Samson and Mhatre can attack the powerplay with the former having the ability to bat deeper.
For Gaikwad, pushing down to number 3 could be a welcome move. He is superb against spin and with a platform set by the openers, there won't be pressure on him to force the pace. At the moment, he seems to be playing under some burden. His captaincy hasn't been great either, but expect the five-time champions to stick with him for the entire season, even with Samson available as a readymade, experienced captain.
Importantly, CSK need Gaikwad to get into gear if they want to progress further into IPL 2026. Yes, the batting order is explosive, and they have the firepower to blow teams away, but a player like Gaikwad is also equally vital to the franchise. CSK's next game is against SRH, and it'll be interesting to see if a batting order change happens. For Gaikwad's sake, let's hope it does.
