Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad believes their struggle to score points in the first few games proved to be the key to their 20th straight defeat to Delhi Capitals The key. After faltering in the powerplay, MS Dhoni went on a rampage and hit some classic old-school knocks in the final that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Apart from Dhoni’s stellar performance, CSK’s batsmen also struggled to make their mark in the powerplay. A flickering spell from Khallel Ahmed tipped the story in DC’s favour. Mukesh Kumar, on the other hand, stole the show by grabbing wickets at crucial moments of the game.

Gaikwad spoke about CSK’s initial struggles after the match, saying: “I’m very happy with the way they (bowlers) recovered after the start of the game (powerplay). Restricting them to 191 was a big feat. Good effort. Pitch condition is better “In the first innings we had extra seam movement and sponge bounce. I feel like he (Rachin) missed a big advantage. We couldn’t get going in the first three rounds and that was the difference. “

CSK slowly got back into the game with a 68-run lead from Ajinkya Rahane and Daryl Mitchell. However, Mukesh stood out in DC with his stellar performance and ensured that CSK stayed behind the required pace.

“At the halfway stage, it was achievable. There was extra seam movement that we couldn’t exploit and we were always behind. We didn’t get big overs to bring down the run-rate,” Gaikwad added.

Chasing a hard-fought total of 192 at the start of the match, CSK got back into the game with the help of Rahane and Mitchell in the stands after faltering in the powerplay.

With 72 runs needed in the final four overs, MS Dhoni came out in force and hit some classic old-school knocks in the final over, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

However, his effortless batting was not enough to keep CSK unbeaten.

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