‘Bad Day for Spinners’: Ruturaj Gaikwad Reacts to CSK’s Defeat Against Punjab Kings

The seventh match of the IPL 2026 series was held Friday evening at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, where Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were up against Punjab Kings. CSK suffered a loss by five wickets. The CSK skipper, Ruturaj Gaikwad, seemed dissatisfied following two consecutive losses in the season. He pointed out that the lackluster performance of CSK spinners had proved to be detrimental for his team.

After the match, captain Ruturaj said, "I thought it was a really good score. The wicket was better for the fast bowlers. I felt it was a bit grippy for the spinners; the ball wasn't coming on to the bat as well. The slower ball was gripping as well. So, you know, especially considering the big boundaries on this ground, I thought it was a really good score."

Regarding the inclusion of Rahul Chahar as an impact player, he said, "We felt we had three fast bowlers and obviously two good wrist spinners, who were bowling in tandem, especially in the middle overs after the powerplay. We thought that would help. However, I think it was a bit of a bad day for Noor Ahmed and Rahul Chahar. That's what hurt us."