Chennai: Ruturaj Gaikwad has been in good form this season for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and he surpassed legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the match against Punjab Kings to score the most runs as CSK captain in an Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Ruturaj took his run tally to 462 with his 15th runs of the innings and bettered the previous record of Dhoni who scored 461 runs in the 2013 edition.
Coming to the match, Ruturaj had scored 447 runs from nine innings with an average of 63.86 and a strike rate of 149.49. The elegant right-handed batter achieved the feat on the fourth delivery of the third over bowled by pacer Sam Curran. The Punjab Kings all-rounder bowled a good-length delivery angling across the batter and Gaikwad punched it through the gap between point and extra cover.
With the stroke, Ruturaj inked his name in the record books overtaking former CSK captain Dhoni, who led his five IPL titles. Also, he ensured a solid opening stand for the team but the other opener for CSK, Ajinkya Rahane (29) departed back to the crease in the ninth over.
With his knock of 62 runs, Ruturaj also became the batter to score most runs at Chepauk in a single season. He has amassed 396 runs in at the venue so far in the ongoing edition and went past Devon Conway who had notched up 390 runs in 2023. Also, he became only the second cricketer to score 500-plus runs in a single IPL season on three occasion after Suresh Raina by doing so in 2021, 2023 and 2024.
In spite of scoring with an average of more than 50 and being in the top five run-getters in the tournament who have scored the most runs, Ruturaj missed a spot in the T20 World Cup. He has taken over the reins of the team this season from Dhoni and CSK has won five out of the nine matches they have played so far. The team will be hoping to lift the silverware and defend the title with a powerful performance.
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