RCB vs CSK: Ruturaj Gaikwad challenged by Ambati Rayudu to prove his mantle vs Bengaluru

Multiple IPL-winning batter Ambati Rayudu wants Ruturaj Gaikwad to prove his leadership skills during CSK's most important IPL 2024 game against RCB. 

The South Indian franchises will clash against each other on May 18th at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium. Both the teams will be eager to win the derby match in 3 days. Those 2 crucial points will be a decisive factor for both the team's play-off qualification scenario. At the moment, Chennai are 3rd with 14 points and RCB are 6th with 12 points. 

If RCB wins on May 18th, then they will go level with CSK in terms of points and then the team with a better net run rate will be going through to the play-offs. In that sense, it is going to be a very important match for Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is leading the 5-time champions for the first time, replacing the legendary MS Dhoni.

What did Ambati Rayudu say about Ruturaj Gaikwad's captaincy? 

While speaking to Star Sports recently, Ambati Rayudu claimed that everyone in India, including himself, are desperately waiting for May 18th to come. Rayudu expressed his excitement about the match because he is very eager to see the Super Kings compete well under Ruturaj Gaikwad in the nail-biting match against RCB. 

Ambati Rayudu explained that it has always been MS Dhoni who used to help CSK win during the crunch phase of the season. But now with a new captain in place, Rayudu wants to see how Chennai performs but most importantly, he wants to see the leadership skills of Ruturaj Gaikwad. 

"Everybody in the country is looking forward to May 18. I am no different. I just want to see CSK really compete under a new captain. It's always been under MS Dhoni that they have played these crunch games."

"It will be interesting to see Ruturaj leading a team into a crunch situation without much support from MS Dhoni, according to Ruturaj himself." - Rayudu said via Star Sports. 

Ambati Rayudu, who was a part of CSK's 5th IPL title-winning campaign last year, further explained why this fixture of May 18th is going to be interesting. The 6-time IPL winner admitted that RCB is going to enter this match as a very lethal unit, having won all of their previous 5 games. Bengaluru's most recent win came against Delhi Capitals by 47 runs at home. 

"It will be interesting and I feel RCB are really, really strong going into that game. It will be, very, very interesting." - Rayudu concluded. 

DC help RCB by beating LSG last night 

RCB's chances for a top-four finish were boosted by the Delhi Capitals last night by denying 2 points to KL Rahul's Lucknow Super Giants. DC had welcomed LSG at the Arun Jaitley stadium in what was Delhi's final IPL 2024 league game and therein, Rishabh Pant's side registered a commanding 19-run victory. 

That win saw LSG remain 7th and squandered the opportunity to finish the season with 16 points. The Mumbai Indians can further help Bengaluru's cause if they beat LSG on May 17th.