Matt Henry struck in the first over after LSG opted to bowl. He bowled four balls on a good length, one a little short of it, and then bowled the last one on the full. Ajinkya Rahane edged the drive and, with first slip wider than usual, KL Rahul dived to his right at full length to take a stunning one-handed catch.
Rahul's athleticism, however, was followed by some sloppy fielding from LSG. In the second over, Yash Thakur dropped Daryl Mitchell to Mohsin Khan at short third man. Moments later, in the same position, Henry could not get a handle on a tougher chance from Gaikwad off Ravi Bishnoi.
Mitchell failed to take advantage of the reprieve and fell for 11 off 10, but Gaikwad was not to be denied. He was on 20 when he was dropped and hit two fours off Henry in the next over. CSK ended the powerplay on 49 for 2, with Gaikwad scoring 37 off 19 balls. As the other CSK batsmen struggled for timing, he looked sublime, bringing up his fifty off 28 balls with seven fours.
Ravindra Jadeja, sent in at No 4, was out in the 12th over for 16 off 19 balls. By then, Gaikwad had scored 71 off 39, with the other CSK batsmen on 29 off 32.
Gaikwad found an ideal partner in Dube, who also hit the first six of the innings in the 13th over. After that, there was no respite for the LSG bowlers. Given Dube's reputation as a spin-hitter, Rahul did not risk bringing in either Bishnoi or Krunal Pandya for the rest of the innings - both of whom bowled to Dube.
Dube showed he had improved his game against pace as well. He hit Yash for three consecutive sixes in the 16th over and Mohsin for two sixes and a four in the 19th over.
Gaikwad was also hard on Yash, hitting him for 6, 4, 4 off successive balls - a sequence that also brought up his hundred.