Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad He said he was “still proud of the boys” despite CSK's five-wicket defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai on Monday.After the defeat, SRH achieved the target of 181 runs in 19 overs. Ishan Kishan70 more runs on 47 balls heinrich classen'47. The result also confirmed SRH's qualification for the IPL 2026 playoffs along with Gujarat Titans.Speaking after the match, Gaikwad said that CSK remained in the competition till the closing stages.“It was quite tight till the end. I thought, you know, a good game of cricket. Obviously, we were in the game until the second last over. And I think (it) was a good T20 pitch as well. I thought it didn't change much throughout the game. And I thought 180 was almost a par score batting second while chasing. So, a good game. Just missed something, but I mean, that's okay. Still proud of the boys,” Gaikwad said.The CSK captain felt that his team failed to create pressure after taking the wicket.“I think it's nothing really, just capitalizing on the opportunity immediately after taking the wicket. That's where you want to put pressure on the opposition. I think we weren't able to do that, especially after losing the wicket,” he said.Gaikwad also pointed to positives for the future despite CSK missing some key players this season.“But I think still, looking at the squad that we had and the limited squad that we had and the best combinations that we had, I'm still proud and I still think that we did well,” he said.(Do you think you can still build this team next year?) “Okay, sure. We are building. Honestly, I think there are a lot of positives. Sanju's addition is a good sign. He's playing really well for us. Karthik Sharma, once again great innings today. So, I think we are building.”Gaikwad admitted that the absence of some players affected the balance of the team.“Obviously, some players missed out, some key players who were part of the playing 12. And I think after that, you have to look back, where can we find those exact replacements, yes or no? So obviously, it depends on a lot of factors, but still, looking at the team we had, everyone played their hearts out today. And like I said, I'm still proud of the guys,'' he said.The CSK captain also thanked the team's supporters after another season where the team struggled on home soil.(Words for CSK fans?) “Yes sir. The crowds, the fans that we have all over the world, they come and support us through all the tough times. So, yes, we lost a few games at home, but I think compared to last year, we were still much better this year. And definitely coming here next year, we will be a much stronger unit,” Gaikwad said.Earlier, SRH restricted CSK to 180/7 after bowling. Pat Cummins took 3 wickets for 28 runs, while Gaikwad managed to score 15 runs in 21 balls.Before Cummins was out, Sanju Samson gave CSK a fast start by hitting fours against Nitish Kumar Reddy and Prafulla Hinge.Dewald Brewis scored 44 runs in 27 balls and added 59 runs with Shivam Dubey, but CSK could not cross the 200-run mark.
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