When noor ahmad

Kolkata Knight Riders: Former India leg-spinner Piyush Chawla has lauded Ruturaj Gaikwad’s tactical acumen in their 32-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026, lauding the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper’s ‘smart’ bowling rotations and usage of Khaleel Ahmed and Anshul Kamboj for dismantling openers Finn Allen and Sunil Narine.

Gaikwad’s decision to withhold spinner Akeal Hosein during the powerplay to counter KKR’s strategy of using Sunil Narine as an aggressor paid off when Khaleel dismissed him in the fifth over, while Kamboj took out Allen cheaply as KKR lost their way and eventually made 160/7 in response to CSK’s 192/5.

“Akeal Hosein did not come to bowl in the first six overs because KKR sent Sunil Narine to open, hoping to exploit Akeal. But Ruturaj was smart. As soon as he saw Narine coming out to open, he used Khaleel Ahmed and Anshul Kamboj with the new ball.