Ruturaj Gaikwad's Unbeaten Century Propels Him to Second in IPL 2024 Orange Cap Race

In a thrilling IPL 2024 match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on April 23, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad scored an unbeaten 108 off 60 balls against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Gaikwad's impressive performance, which included 11 boundaries and 3 sixes, helped CSK post a massive total of 210/4 in their 20 overs.

Gaikwad's century, his second in the IPL, was a historic moment as he became the first CSK player to score a century in the tournament. He also surpassed Faf du Plessis' record of 16 to become the Chennai batter with the most 50-plus scores. Gaikwad's partnership of 104 runs with Shivam Dube, who scored 66 off 27 balls, was crucial in setting up CSK's formidable total.

Despite Gaikwad's heroics, LSG managed to chase down the target of 211 runs with three balls to spare, thanks to a stunning unbeaten 124 off 63 balls from Marcus Stoinis. Stoinis' innings was a perfect contrast to Gaikwad's elegant performance, showcasing his power-hitting abilities with 13 fours and 6 sixes at a strike rate of 196.82. Nicholas Pooran and Deepak Hooda also contributed to LSG's successful run chase, which was the highest at the Chepauk stadium.

Why this matters: Gaikwad's unbeaten century has propelled him to second place in the IPL 2024 Orange Cap list, just 30 runs behind leader Virat Kohli. This match also saw the seventh instance of multiple centurions in an IPL game, highlighting the increasing frequency of high-scoring encounters in the tournament.

The match witnessed some great catches and fielding efforts, but also multiple errors from both teams. CSK's Matheesha Pathirana and Mustafizur Rahman bowled well in the death overs, but it was not enough to stop LSG's charge. "It was a great game of cricket. We did well to post

Key Takeaways

• Ruturaj Gaikwad scored an unbeaten 108 for CSK, becoming the first CSK player to score an IPL century.
• Gaikwad's century helped CSK post 210/4, but LSG chased it down with 3 balls to spare.
• LSG's Marcus Stoinis scored an unbeaten 124 to guide his team to victory, the highest chase at Chepauk.
• Gaikwad's century has propelled him to 2nd in the IPL 2024 Orange Cap list.
• This match saw the 7th instance of multiple centurions in an IPL game, highlighting high-scoring encounters.