MS Dhonis visible disappointment was profound as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) exited IPL 2024 after a 27run defeat against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their concluding league encounter on Saturday (May 18). Interestingly the Men in Yellow had a pathway to the playoffs even in a loss by under 18 runs.
RCB made the initial charge at the crease tallying 218/5 in a highstakes clash supported by a collective batting display. CSK aimed to surpass the 200run mark to secure a playoff berth falling short despite the valiant contributions from Rachin Ravindra (61) Ravindra Jadeja (42*) Ajinkya Rahane (33) and MS Dhoni (25).
MS Dhoni, who is in the later stages of his playing career, was devastated by the setback. You may see MS Dhoni response to the loss in the following posts:
Heart-breaking moment for MS Dhoni. ???? pic.twitter.com/BazolrX5HU
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 18, 2024
“It Was a Matter of One or Two Hits” – CSK Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad on Defeat to RCB in Final IPL 2024 League Match
After the game, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad claimed the surface was good for batting, despite some grip and turn. He thought that losing wickets at regular intervals harmed their chances in the chase.
“I think it was a good wicket to be honest. It was spinning and gripping a little bit but 200 was gettable on this ground. Just that we kept losing wickets at regular intervals. It was a matter of one or two hits and that can happen in a T20 game.”
Ruturaj Gaikwad
Reflecting on his team’s success in the IPL 2024, Ruturaj Gaikwad continued:
“To sum up the season for us, pretty happy with 7 wins out of 14. Couldn’t get over the line, but it can happen – we got 10 from the last two balls in the final last year. Pretty similar situation. Personal milestones really don’t matter a lot to me. The ultimate goal is to win the ultimate prize. If you don’t get there it’s a lot of disappointment whether you score 100 or 200 runs or 500 or 600 runs.”
Ruturaj Gaikwad