Chennai Super Kings 206 for six (Dube 51, Ravindra 46) beat Gujarat Titans 143 for 8 (Sudharsan 37, Chahar 2-28, Deshpande 2-21) by 63 runs
The new faces of Chennai Super Kings impressed towards the group they took down within the IPL 2023 closing, signalling that the post-MS Dhoni period may be full of plenty of success.
He was straight-driving sixes. He was front-foot pulling boundaries. He was pouncing on uncommon quick balls from Rashid Khan. This was a batter exhibiting off simply how early he was choosing size and simply how good his hand-eye coordination is. He was by no means out of place. He was by no means rushed. He by no means even seemed like he was attempting. His 46 off 20 balls is already within the Super Kings corridor of fame as a result of he hit 9 boundaries, the joint-fifth-most by any CSK batter contained in the powerplay in all IPL historical past.
Left-arm spinner Sai Kishore and Rashid Khan have been immense in serving to Titans shut down Mumbai Indians of their first match of the season. Here they have been virtually not allowed to complete their full quota of overs. Because Shivam Dube.
The first ball of the eleventh over resulted in Ajinkya Rahane's wicket with the rating on 104 for two. The second and third have been despatched up into orbit by the one of many league's finest spin-hitters.
Dube's story may nicely be the strongest argument in favour of role-clarity in T20 cricket. Here was a power-hitter who had just one fifty from his first 22 IPL innings as a result of groups stored utilizing him as a finisher. He is not that, as a result of he's nonetheless a piece in progress towards quick bowling.
All the ability he had was going to waste, till CSK got here calling in 2022 and determined they'd use him towards the slower bowlers; towards the type of individuals he can simply plant that entrance foot down and use all of his wingspan. Even Rashid wasn't in a position to maintain Dube quiet. That's the standard of his spin-hitting. He has 57 sixes because the change to yellow and that places him degree with IPL legend Andre Russell and Liam Livingstone and behind solely Jos Buttler (59).
Sameer Rizvi hit his first ball within the IPL for six, off Rashid Khan•BCCI
At the autumn of Dube's wicket, with lower than two overs to go, Chepauk might need anticipated Dhoni to stride out to the center. The digital camera actually did. It stored panning to him within the dressing room.
Instead, it was 20-year previous Rizvi who stepped up. And he swept the primary ball that he confronted within the IPL for six. That it occurred to be Rashid bowling and that he hit him for an additional six - this one a little bit of a mis-hit as he charged out of his crease and swung himself virtually off his toes - solely added to the event. If that is the brand new CSK, there's going to be a number of extra particular years forward.
Deepak Chahar was discovering that his slower ball wasn't working tonight; that the pitch as an alternative of providing grip solely let it slide onto the bat. But Chepauk did not completely bail on its group. There was a second within the third over when slightly little bit of a low bounce resulted in Shubman GIll's wicket. He was lbw whereas taking part in that front-foot pull shot with an angled bat that often goes to the boundary.
More mischief occurred as a group that's not actually recognized for his or her fielding pulled off three unbelievable catches - Dhoni diving full size to his proper to do away with Vijay Shankar, Ajinkya Rahane working in from midwicket and diving ahead to snap up a David Miller helicopter shot at deep midwicket, and Ravindra gobbling up a skier from Azmatullah Omarzai.
The Titans chase by no means obtained going. They had solely 34 on the board when their openers fell, 114 when their top-scorer Sai Sudharsan fell, and at 129 for 8 they have been even at risk of being bowled out. That did not occur however this loss was their worst when it comes to runs within the IPL.
Alagappan Muthu is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
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