In their recent match against Gujarat Titans, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad expressed that the team had no prior understanding of how the Chepauk pitch would behave. This lack of insight contributed to a poor start, with CSK losing three wickets for just 26 runs within the first five overs. They managed to post a total of 158 runs for 7 wickets, which was insufficient against GT, who chased it down comfortably, winning by eight wickets. Gaikwad reflected that while they had adapted to the pitch in previous games, this time they were caught off guard. He noted that the pitch was two-paced and had inconsistent bounce, which complicated their batting strategy. Gaikwad believed that had they not lost early wickets, they could have reached a more competitive score of 170 or 180 runs.