Gaikwad becomes first CSK captain in five years to…

NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad led from the front to guide his team to seven-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2024 match at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday.
Gaikwad, with an unbeaten half-century (67), anchored the chase, while Shivam Dube‘s aggressive 28 off 18 balls propelled CSK to their third victory of the season, halting KKR’s winning streak.
Gaikwad’s fifty made him the first CSK captain in the last five years to score a half-century in the IPL.
MS Dhoni was the last CSK skipper to score a half-century in 2019.
Dhoni also smashed a fifty in the 2022 edition but it came under captaincy of Ravindra Jadeja.
Having suffered back-to-back losses, CSK restricted Kolkata Knight Riders to a paltry 137 for 9 after opting to bowl.
Seasoned all-rounder Jadeja (3/18) led the charge for CSK, who took wickets at regular intervals and did well to stem the flow of runs at the Chepauk.
Pacer Tushar Deshpande (3/33) also accounted for three batters while Mustafizur Rahman (2/22) picked two wickets.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer top scored for KKR with a 32-ball 34.