Chennai, March 23: Newly minted Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad had a dream start to his leadership tenure, guiding his team to a comfortable six-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL 2024 season opener.

Speaking after the match, Gaikwad downplayed any pressure associated with the captaincy role, crediting his experience and the guidance of former skipper MS Dhoni. "I've always enjoyed captaincy; it's not a burden for me," he said. "Having Mahi bhai (brother) there was a huge help, and everyone in the team contributes naturally. We have clear roles, and that makes things easier. Ideally, one of the top three batsmen could've batted longer, but everyone chipped in well."

Gaikwad praised his bowlers, particularly Mustafizur Rahman, who dismantled RCB's top order with a four-wicket haul. He pinpointed Maxwell and Faf du Plessis' dismissals as the turning point of the match. "We were in control for most of the match, barring a few loose overs," Gaikwad analyzed. "Getting those early wickets really helped us dictate the rest of the innings."

Chasing a target of 174 runs, CSK batsmen like Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, and Daryl Mitchell all played crucial knocks to secure a convincing victory with 1.2 overs to spare.