Ruturaj Gaikwad Reveals Why Devon Conway Was Retired Out Against PBKS: ‘We Waited and Waited Until…’

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In the IPL 2025 clash between Punjab Kings and Chennai Super Kings, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad shed light on the tactical call to retire out opener Devon Conway during a crucial phase of the chase.

Gaikwad Explains Decision to Retire Out Devon Conway in CSK’s Loss to Punjab Kings

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad shed light on the tactical move to retire out Devon Conway during their 18-run defeat against Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025. Chasing a daunting target of 220 in Mullanpur, CSK once again fell short despite a late cameo by MS Dhoni, who scored 27 off just 12 balls.

Conway, who anchored the innings with a steady 69 off 49 balls, was surprisingly retired out just before the final delivery of the 18th over. In his place, Ravindra Jadeja was sent in to accelerate the scoring, with Dhoni already at the crease. CSK needed 28 runs in the final over, but Dhoni was caught at fine leg off a low full-toss from Yash Thakur, while Jadeja remained unbeaten on 9 from 5 balls.

When questioned about the decision to retire out Conway at the post-match presentation, Ruturaj Gaikwad explained that the team believed Jadeja was better suited to finish the innings.

“Well, you know, he’s more of a timer of the ball, very useful up the order, but definitely, when you have Jaddu (Jadeja), his role is completely different, and he’s known for that role particularly,” Ruturaj Gaikwad said. “So you expect that change to happen at some point when you know the batsman is struggling.”

“Initially, he was still striking the ball. We waited and waited until we thought it was necessary, and then we thought, yes, why not change it?” he added.

‘Fielding errors costing us’

Ruturaj Gaikwad

Chennai Super Kings slumped to their fourth consecutive loss in IPL 2025, this time falling short against Punjab Kings. With just 2 points from five games, the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side now sits at ninth place on the points table.

Poor fielding has been a consistent issue for CSK throughout the season. Dropped catches and missed opportunities have cost the team dearly in almost every match. Gaikwad, speaking after the defeat, admitted that fielding errors have been a key reason for the team’s struggles.

“We are dropping a catch; the same batsman is just adding 15, 20, 25, sometimes 30 runs extra as well. It’s just making that difference,” Ruturaj Gaikwad said. “If you just leave out the RCB game, I think the last three chases were just a matter of one or maybe two or three hits.”

The skipper also acknowledged that the team is trying to address the issue. “Yes, you can have a bad day, but you know, in fielding, there is something which we are really trying to work on, but right now, it’s not happening,” he added.

In the CSK vs PBKS clash, Priyansh Arya stole the show with a blistering 103 off just 42 balls, earning him the Player of the Match award.

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