Former India opener Wasim Jaffer spoke about the possibility of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) reaching the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 playoffs. Wasim Jaffer said that Chennai Super Kings would have struggled had they lost their last game against Punjab Kings (PBKS).
Chennai Super Kings registered a 28-run win over Punjab Kings in the 53rd match of IPL 2024 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala on Sunday, May 5. After the win, the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led team climbed to third place in the table with 12 points in 11 games.
Chennai has registered six wins and five defeats in the current season. They have a net run rate (NRR) of +0.700. SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) also have 12 points each. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) are in the top two positions with 16 points each.
This victory would increase their chances – Wasim Jaffer
In a video shared by ESPNcricinfo on X (formerly known as Twitter), Wasim Jaffer said that Chennai Super Kings have increased their playoff chances with their recent win. Jaffer expressed confidence that they would secure a place in the top four at the end of the league phase of IPL 2024.
“Well, I think this win would increase their chances. And I think they will do that somehow. If they had lost that one, I would have said they would have been in trouble. But with this win I think they will make it to the top four.” Wasim Jaffer told ESPNCricinfo.
The CSK team posted a competitive total of 167/9 in 20 overs after being asked to bat first. Ravindra Jadeja scored 43 runs off 26 balls, including three fours and two sixes. Ruturaj Gaikwad (32) and Daryl Mitchell (30) made notable contributions. Rahul Chahar and Harshal Patel took three wickets each.
The Punjab batters struggled to build a partnership on a slow pitch. The home team managed to score just 139 runs in 20 overs for the loss of nine wickets. Ravindra Jadeja shone with the ball, taking three wickets for 20 runs in four overs. Jadeja was named player of the match for his all-round performance.
I don’t know what he is doing – Ruturaj Gaikwad
After CSK’s win against PBKS, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad mentioned the slow pitch with low bounce and noted that they were aiming for a total score of 180+ but settled for 170. Gaikwad praised Simarjeet Singh’s batting ability with the ball and said he was very happy for him.
“(Whether the throw counts) It doesn’t matter after you win the game, but it’s important to me. I think everyone believed that the wicket was slow and had little bounce. When we got the start we were thinking about taking the total to over 180 but we lost two quick wickets and that changed our plan. Gaikwad said.
“We were thinking about reaching 170 km/h. (On Simarjeet) Definitely I don’t know what he’s doing. In the pre-season we had, he was fast at 150 km/h. He didn’t have much of a chance given our determined attack.” “We thought about sending a batsman but I’m really happy for him. We weren’t sure until the morning who was playing and who wasn’t, and that makes this win extra special.” he continued.
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