CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad called the win over Kolkata Knight Riders a real relief after a rough patch. He admitted the pressure and his own dip in form were starting to weigh on his mindset at the crease. This latest win, though, helped him settle down, brought back some calm, and made him feel the confidence creeping back. He’s sure a big score isn’t far away. He also thanked his teammates for stepping up and taking some of the load off his shoulders.

Honestly, Gaikwad’s start to IPL 2026 hasn’t been great—just 63 runs in five matches at an average of 12.60 and a strike rate of 105. He’s managed scores of 6, 28, 7, 15, and 7, so he’s still looking for rhythm at the top of the order.

CSK looked more like themselves on Tuesday, beating KKR by a solid 32 runs in Chennai. KKR’s really struggling—they’ve lost four, had one no result, and are stuck at the bottom of the table. CSK, with this win, has climbed up to eighth place and now has four points.

“It just feels good to win after a while. The pressure was getting to me, honestly—even during my batting,” Gaikwad said after the match. “After the last game, I felt a bit more relaxed. I’m feeling good again. The goal for me is just to do whatever the team needs, whatever the situation calls for. Mentally, I’m in a much better place and staying positive. I feel like a big knock is just around the corner. The other guys have been covering for me lately, but when the time comes, I’ll step up.”

He was clearly happy with how CSK defended their 192-run total. He pointed out that a strong bowling powerplay and controlling the run rate from there turned out to be the key.

“Honestly, I felt we had a par score. The pitch changed a lot after the first seven or eight overs—it started spinning and holding up a bit. We thought maybe 220 or 210 was possible at first, but after a while, 190 or even 180 looked good. After setting that target, it was all about starting strong in the powerplay with the ball and keeping a lid on the scoring rate,” he explained.

Gaikwad had special praise for the bowling group, which is starting to find its groove. “The bowling combination is really coming together. Players know their roles now, what overs to bowl, and what kind of lengths to hit. They’re adapting well to the match situations, and that’s a great sign for us. We thought of using Noor if we were short while batting, but our bases were covered, and Akhil came in during the second innings because of his powerplay skills.”

Talking about the match itself—CSK, batting first, posted 192/5 in 20 overs, with big knocks from Samson (48 off 32) and Brevis (41 off 29). Kartik Tyagi chipped in with two wickets for 35 runs.

KKR, chasing, got off to a shaky start at 29/2, but Rahane (28 off 22) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (27 off 19) put together a 50-run partnership to steady things briefly. Then Noor Ahmad came into the attack and triggered a collapse, leaving KKR reeling at 90/6. They finished at 160/7, never really recovering from that spell.