Chennai Super Kings fell short against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi Hyderabad International Cricket Stadium. Ruturaj Gaikwad’s captaincy came under scrutiny for not utilizing Moeen Ali and Maheesh Theekshana in the bowling attack initially, leading to the pacers conceding plenty of runs.
Harbhajan Singh criticized Gaikwad’s decisions, particularly regarding the bowling strategy, suggesting that starting with spinners could have been more effective. The ineffective performance of Mukesh further compounded their woes.
In response, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif defended Gaikwad and roasted Harbhajan Singh, highlighting the tendency to credit MS Dhoni for victories and blame Gaikwad for defeats. Despite Dhoni’s support during CSK’s two consecutive wins, Gaikwad faced criticism after two successive losses.
“If Chennai Super Kings win, the credit is given to MS Dhoni. If the team loses, the blame is given to Ruturaj Gaikwad,” Kaif said while replying to Harbhajan Singh.
CSK’s batting effort, resulting in a modest total of 165/5 after being put in to bat, was insufficient to challenge the home team. Sunrisers’ batsmen, particularly Abhishek Sharma and Aiden Markram, found it relatively easy to chase down the target. Abhishek scored 37 runs from just 12 balls while Aiden Markram guided the inning, scoring 50 runs from 36 balls.
