Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad Pinpoints Reason Behind CSK's Defeat To GT In IPL 2026: 'We Couldn't Read Conditions'

Chennai: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad admitted that the defeat to Gujarat Titans (GT) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash on Sunday was largely due to CSK's inability to adapt to difficult and unpredictable pitch conditions at Chepauk, where the ball showed inconsistent pace and bounce.

He said the team initially aimed for a competitive total of around 170-180, but frequent wickets in the middle overs prevented them from building partnerships and shifting momentum. Gaikwad added that although he got a decent start, CSK struggled after losing quick wickets at crucial stages.

Reflecting on the innings, he noted that the conditions were hard to read and different from previous matches, making shot selection and strike rotation challenging.

Despite early intent to stay aggressive, he said the team eventually fell behind in the game due to poor adaptation and a lack of stability in the batting order.

"Yes, to be honest, sometimes I hate to assess in that way, but I felt it was challenging. I was holding a bit for the pacers; the pace was inconsistent, and the bounce was up and down. But if we hadn't lost too many wickets, we could've reached 170-180. Not expected to be honest, it's tough to assess the conditions here. In the last three matches, we learned how the game would play out. We had a 60-70% chance in the last two or three games, but we didn't expect it to play like this today. We just couldn't adapt to the conditions. In the first timeout, I told Flem that I was trying to be positive and aggressive. But at times, the ball popped out with inconsistent bounce," Gaikwad said after the match.

"You couldn't judge, and you couldn't expect it to turn out well. We were lethargic and didn't start well, but we needed to do better. I got off to a good start (10 off 6), I thought I would keep the momentum, but then we saw 3 wickets fall while we were trying to build a partnership. Another wicket fell, and I wanted to take my time. For any other pitch, I might've rotated the strike better. Once I got hit, I just thought I would take my chances and get some momentum back. We were batting really well; if we hadn't lost two quick wickets, Mukesh would've come in the second innings. But we lost two wickets quickly, which is why we opted for an impact player," he added.

A fluent half-century from Sai Sudharsan, along with vital contributions from Shubman Gill and Jos Butler, guided the GT to a comfortable 8-wicket victory over the CSK on Sunday in Chennai.

GT displayed a clinical run-chase. Sai, Gill and Butler, GT's top three, got the job done for the visitors, getting their fourth win of the season to climb up to the fifth spot in the points table.

Titans' win with 20 balls to spare is their second biggest victory against CSK at Chepauk, only behind KKR's 59-ball win last season chasing 104.

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