2 mistakes and 1 masterstroke by CSK in their IPL 2024 match vs KKR

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) extended their unbeaten record at home in IPL 2024 as they beat the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by seven wickets on Monday, April 8.

It was an assured performance from the Super Kings, who restricted the visiting side to 134 before chasing it down with 14 balls to spare. Ruturaj Gaikwad anchored the chase with his first half-century of the season, while Ravindra Jadeja and Tushar Deshpande picked up three wickets each.

Nevertheless, it wasn't a flawless performance from Chennai. There were a few things they could've done better and perhaps even secured a bigger margin of victory.

Here are two mistakes and one masterstroke made by CSK in their IPL 2024 match against KKR.

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#3 Mistake - Ruturaj Gaikwad and company should've shown more intent in the chase

Gaikwad remained unbeaten in the chase [Image Courtesy: iplt20.com]

With only 135 runs to get and dew setting in, CSK were expected to wrap up the chase inside the first 15 overs. However, Ruturaj Gaikwad and his fellow batters adopted a relatively cautious approach.

Rachin Ravindra tried to show intent in the powerplay, but he was dismissed in the fourth over. While Gaikwad struck a few boundaries in the sixth to ensure that the field restrictions weren't wasted, he and Daryl Mitchell were content to mostly rotate the strike in the middle overs.

Even when it was certain that Chennai would coast to a victory, Gaikwad didn't step on the pedal. He instead left that to Shivam Dube, who ensured that the net run rate received a big boost.

Without nothing much in the surface in the second innings, the CSK captain could've been more proactive and tried to get the job done quickly.

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#2 Masterstroke - Dwayne Bravo and his bowlers executed to perfection against Andre Russell

When asked about his strategies against Andre Russell during a mid-innings interview, CSK bowling coach Dwayne Bravo was coy. At the end of it all, though, the veteran all-rounder would've been delighted with the way his bowlers pulled through.

CSK didn't give Russell anything in his arc and kept it wide of his off stump. Mustafizur Rahman got his cutters to angle across the big-hitting West Indian and move further away, while Tushar Deshpande produced the vital breakthrough by having him caught at long-on.

The Super Kings could've seen all their good work in the middle overs undone if Russell had fired at the death, but they got their tactics spot on, and Bravo had a big role to play in that.

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#1 Mistake - Rachin Ravindra bowled only one over

With the track offering assistance to both Ravindra Jadeja and Maheesh Theekshana, Gaikwad made the right call by throwing the ball to Rachin Ravindra when Ramandeep Singh and Shreyas Iyer were out in the middle.

The Kiwi left-arm spinner delivered a tidy over, conceding just four runs. Nevertheless, he was taken out of the attack and wasn't brought back. Had Ravindra bowled a second over, he would've not only been able to target the right-handers but also reduced Shardul Thakur's bowling responsibilities.

It may not have cost CSK much, with Theekshana castling Ramandeep, but Ravindra needs to be given some time to prove his all-round with to the side. As the pitches get slower, he could turn out to be a massive asset.