Gaikwad hits a stunning shot! Gowtham attempted a shorter length, but Gaikwad swiftly dispatched it. Undeterred, Gowtham pitches it up on off, but Gaikwad extends his arms beautifully and drives the ball down the ground, sending it sailing over long-off for yet another six.
After winning the toss, KL Rahul chose to bowl first, and Lucknow Super Giant had a rough start with the ball. Chennai Super Kings took advantage of this, with Ruturaj Gaikwad leading the charge alongside his opening partner Devon Conway.
Together, they scored 79 runs in the powerplay, setting a record for CSK at Chepauk in the IPL. The team continued to build momentum and had scored over 170 runs by the 17th over. Fans of CSK will be hoping to see Ben Stokes perform well with the bat, as he joins Ambati Rayudu on the field.
Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni have yet to bat. In their season opener in Ahmedabad, the MS Dhoni-led CSK faced Gujarat Titans and suffered a narrow five-wicket defeat. They are now up against the clinical Lucknow Super Giants, who won their opening match against the Delhi Capitals by a margin of 50 runs.
However, it’s important to note that CSK are playing in front of their home crowd at the Chepauk Stadium for the first time since 2019. Over the years, many great teams have failed miserably in their attempts to beat CSK at home.