IPL 2024: Missing out on three key players made a huge difference – Ruturaj Gaikwad after being knocked out

Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad rued injury woes after they were knocked out of IPL 2024. CSK lost their last league stage match of the season by 27 runs against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Saturday.

After winning the toss, CSK conceded 218 runs and had to score 201 to qualify for the last four. However, the reigning champions were restricted to 191-7 by the RCB bowlers.

Gaikwad admitted they should have scored 200 runs to qualify but kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Meanwhile, the CSK captain felt missing the services of key players like Devon Conway, Matheesha Pathirana and Mustafizur Rahman made a lot of difference.

While Conway was ruled out before the start of the IPL, Rahman and Pathirana were ruled out after the middle phase of the tournament. Rahman scalped 14 wickets in nine matches whereas Pathirana bagged 13 wickets in six games at an impressive economy rate of 7.68.

Gaikwad said after the loss, “With the kind of injuries we had, missing out on two frontline bowlers, not having Conway at the top of the order as well, I think missing out on three key players made a huge difference. Credit to the CSK staff and everyone who put up a great show for us throughout the season. There were many challenges for us right throughout the first game.”

He added, “Injury to Fizz (Mustafizur), then injury to Pathirana as well, he came back and then again Pathirana missed out. When you have injuries around, you have to get that balance in the team and pick it (the team) for every game. I think this season sums up well where we had to tinker around with our playing XI, considering the injuries and all the illness (of the players) as well.”

Gaikwad feels 200 was a gettable score on the wicket but they could not come up with a collective batting show.

He concluded, “ I think it was a good wicket to be honest, it was spinning and gripping a little bit, but I think 200 on this ground was gettable. We kept losing wickets at regular intervals, it was a matter of one or two hits, sometimes that can happen in a T20 game. Pretty happy with what the target was, to sum up the season, I am pretty happy to have seven wins out of 14 games. Just couldn’t get over the line in the last two balls.”

CSK ended their IPL 2024 season with seven wins and as many losses.