On Monday, in their match against Delhi Capitals, the pair of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis became the first batting pair for CSK to score 600 runs for the franchise in a single season. After a woeful outing in the 2020 season of IPL, Chennai Super Kings have made a great comeback this season and they owe most of their credit to this opening pair which has seldom failed to perform in this season.
In 2020, CSK finished in the 7th position in the points table. It was their worst season, as before this season they had always managed to qualify for the playoffs. Therefore, their fans were expecting them to make a strong comeback and that is what they exactly did. Super Kings had a great start in both phases and went on to become the first team to qualify for the Playoffs.
They owe a huge credit to the pair of Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis. While the South African has been an integral part of the team for as long as anyone can remember, Gaikwad broke into the scene in the last season as he scored 3 consecutive half-centuries towards the back end of the season. After Shane Watson’s retirement, the franchise decided to give Gaikwad an extended run this season and he did not disappoint. In his 13 innings, Gaikwad scored 521 runs, with 3 fifties and a fabulous century. Simultaneously, his opening partner also had a great outing as he scored 470 runs in his 13 innings with 4 fifties.
Currently, CSK is on top of the points table with 18 points accumulated in 12 matches.
