CSK's Ruturaj Gaikwad joins McCullum, Hussey with incredible 92-run knock in IPL 2023 opener vs GT

Ruturaj Gaikwad's nine sixes against Gujarat Titans were the second most by a CSK batter in an innings in IPL.

Ruturaj Gaikwad was a man on a mission on Friday. And the mission was simple - see the ball, hit the ball and hit it hard. Not exactly known to be a hard-hitter of the cricket ball, Gaikwad was at his absolute best in the IPL 2023 opener against Gujarat Titans. He hit sixes for fun. It all started when he pulled IPL debutant Josh Little for a six in the fourth over of the match. Since then, he did not stop. Gaikwad hit as many as nine sixes in his 92-run knock to help CSK post 178 for 7 batting first against Gujarat Titans.

Chennai Super Kings' Ruturaj Gaikwad plays a shot(AFP)

Gaikwad's nine sixes were the second most by a CSK batter in an innings in IPL. The other batters to have hit nine sixes in an innings for CSK are Robin Uthappa vs RCB in 2022, Brendon McCullum vs SRH in 2015 and Michael Hussey vs PBKS in 2008. Murali Vijay holds the record for hittng most sixes for CSK in an innings. He had hit 11 against RR in 2010.

Ruturaj's 92 was also the third-highest individual score in an IPL season opener after Brendon McCullum's 158* against RCB in 2008 and Rohit Sharma's 98* against KKR in 2015.

Apart from Gaikwad, the only other batter who put the Titans under pressure was Moeen Ali who came up with a 17-ball 23. Ali's flat six off Mohammad Shami on a free-hit ball was the highlight of his cameo.

Titans' trump card Rashid Khan was introduced in the powerplay and as he often does, he got the wicket that his team was looking for by getting the dangerous looking Ali caught behind.

Rashid's second over saw him getting rid of England Test captain Ben Stokes, who too was caught by wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, leaving CSK at 70 for three.

However, the fall of wickets did not make Gaikwad change his game as he kept getting the boundaries. He welcomed Alzarri Joseph into the attack by smashing him for three sixes in the eighth over.

Titans did well to stem the flow of runs in the middle overs and got the wicket of Ambati Rayudu.

Shivam Dube struggled to find the big hits and that put pressure on Gaikwad who was caught in the deep in the 17th over and missed out on a deserving hundred.

Skipper M S Dhoni came out to bat at number eight but still managed to make an impact as he pulled Little for a six before flicking him for a four in the final over, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Kane Williamson injured his knee while fielding at the boundary and limped off the field.

The last five overs yielded 45 runs for CSK.