A third win for the Chennai Super Kings. After suffering two consecutive losses away from home, the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side has continued their old habit of winning. A third home game has brought smiles back to the Chennai camp as they return to the top 4. Meanwhile, the Kolkata Knight Riders have received a humbling at Chepauk, courtesy of Ravindra Jadeja, who bagged a 3-fer and broke Shreyas Iyer and co’s three-match win streak.
World Cup winners reunite
It looks like Gautam Gambhir is here to prove a point in the IPL 2024 season. The KKR mentor has decided to not only show his side the right path but also to tell the world that he has no ill will against the two greats of the game. After Virat Kohli, Gambhir has decided to rubbish rumors of him having issues with MS Dhoni. The two World Cup winners embraced after the match, which was the highlight of the day.
Mayank’s speed comes to a halt
After wowing the world with his speed, Mayank Yadav has to hit the breaks. Having suffered a side strain injury against the Gujarat Titans, the speedster has been ruled out for the next week. The 21-year-old, who had clocked a 156.7 kmph rocket a few days ago, will miss the Lucknow Super Giants’ next two encounters on April 12 and 14.
Ravindra Jadeja’s day out
Move aside; Sir Ravindra Jadeja is here! There is nothing on a cricket field that Jadeja can’t do. The southpaw all-rounder completed the holy trifecta of 100 wickets, 100 catches, and 1000 runs in the IPL, becoming the first player to achieve it. For his magnificent and match-winning 3-fer, he received a record-tying 15th ‘Player of the Match’ award and proved why he’s one of the best to ever play in the league.
Ruturaj’s first 50 as CSK captain
In his fifth match as CSK’s skipper, Ruturaj Gaikwad finally got the chance to raise his bat. The opener, who was having a quiet IPL so far, returned to his best against KKR. In doing so, he also became just the second CSK captain to score a fifty. The only player who had done so in the past was MS Dhoni (21), who scored his last half-century five years ago.
Fragile Deepak Chahar
The sky is blue, the grass is green, and Deepak Chahar is once again injured. The bowling all-rounder’s fitness concerns have brought immense pain to him and CSK fans. Before the match, Ruturaj ruled the pacer out, claiming he had a niggle. Chahar hasn’t played a full IPL season for the last couple of years. Last year, he missed 6 matches with a hamstring injury, and in 2022, he missed the full season due to a back injury.
Shreyas Iyer’s lean patch
Three KKR batters have scored over 100 runs this year, but Shreyas isn’t one of them. Returning to the IPL after two years, Shreyas hasn’t hit his stride yet. Despite having a 3-1 win-less record, the middle-order batter hasn’t worked his magic with the bat. His strike rate is a little over 130, and his issues with the short ball continue. With the next five games at home, the KKR skipper will look to return to his best.