Gaikwad has made a welcome return to form

Gaikwad has had a slow start in IPL 2024, managing only 88 runs in four innings and averaging 22 in the tournament. With a modest target in front of him, he settled in for the long haul. After a cautious first over, he hit a ramp shot off Vaibhav Arora and quickly increased his score from 4 off 9 to 32 off 23 by the end of the powerplay.

Rachin Ravindra provided the early impetus by going after Mitchell Starc. Once he fell, Gaikwad ensured that the momentum was maintained. With Ajinkya Rahane struggling with a calf strain, Gaikwad had additional responsibility, which he handled well.

He took on the left-arm spin of Anukul Roy, backing away the first ball of the fifth over and hitting him through covers. He repeated those shots twice before smashing Vaibhav Arora for two back-to-back fours. At the end of the powerplay, CSK had raced to 52 for 1.