Chennai Super Kings picked up a second straight win in as many games in their Indian Premier League 2024 (IPL 2024) campaign as they got the better of the visiting Gujarat Titans by 63 runs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday.
The hosts went about the game with surgical precision to set GT a target of 207 and limited the visitors to 143/8 to continue winning at home in the ongoing tournament.
Ruturaj Gaikwad got an early reprieve as R Sai Kishore dropped an absolute sitter to let the CSK captain off the hook, while Rachin Ravindra began his innings swimmingly with a couple of boundaries off Umesh Yadav to get off the mark exquisitely.
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Gaikwad was happy to rotate the strike to the on-song southpaw who dealt with Azmatullah Omarzai with disdain as he slapped him away to the ropes for a pair of boundaries with strokes that delighted the onlooking Madras fanbase.
Despite the change in ends, the Kiwi continued his onslaught as he whacked Yadav to the advertisement boards for a six, the first of two in his innings. He was in no mood to stop as he scored all around the ground as the GT bowlers looked all at sea.
Ravindra went about dismantling the Afghan pacer as he smashed the ball into the MCC pavilion for a maximum which brought up the fifty for CSK in just 4.2 overs. The New Zealander displayed his wide arsenal of strokeplay to move into the 40s in no time.
Gill opted for a change in bowling as he brought in his ace Rashid Khan to break the partnership, and it yielded a result as the spinner removed Ravindra from the crease. Ravindra was applauded vociferously for his incredible knock of 46 off just 20 deliveries and was shown respect when walking back as confirmation for the stumping that dismissed him came up on the big screen.
GT’s overseas recruit Spencer Johnson was welcomed to the bowling attack with hostility by Gaikwad who pulled his opening delivery beyond the ropes for a maximum. A couple of singles between the batting pair brought up the team’s hundred and the CSK skipper finished off the 10th over with a boundary straight down the ground.
Ajinkya Rahane fell prey to Sai Kishore’s spin, but, Shivam Dube put a lid on the GT celebrations with two maximums in the first two deliveries he faced.
Gaikwad was halted short of his half-century as he knicked one back to the keeper off Johnson’s ball to be dismissed on an identical score to his opening partner Ravindra, 46.
Dube kept dealing in maximums as he kept sending projectiles all around the park to bring up his half-century as the crowd acknowledged the first fifty by a CSK player in the ongoing nascent tournament.
The 30-year-old made 51 off just 22 deliveries before being scalped by Mohit Sharma. Sameer Rizvi thrilled the crowd with his 6 ball 14 runs knock which included two maximums before Mohit got his second of the day.
Ravindra Jadeja was run out in the final delivery of the innings, while Daryll Mitchell remained unbeaten on 24 as Chennai posted a total of 206/6.
GT’s opening partnership was broken thanks to a DRS call that turned out to be fortuitous for CSK as skipper Shubman Gill was removed for just 8 runs by Deepak Chahar. The pacer doubled his wicket tally as he sent Wriddhiman Saha for 21 shortly after.
The stadium erupted as Dhoni pulled off a stunning catch diving to his right to dismiss Vijay Shankar as Daryl Mitchell collected his first scalp in yellow. Gujarat were 80/3 at the midway point in their innings with a mountain left to climb.
Rahane produced a moment of brilliance in the field, to get rid of the dangerous David Miller for 21, off Tushar Deshpande’s bowling as the pressure mounted on the touring side. Sai Sudharsan was dropped by Ravindra, but the mistake did not prove detrimental to the home side’s cause as Rizvi pulled off a catch in the very same over as Matheesha Pathirana sent the southpaw back for 37.
Ravindra made immediate amends as he caught Omarzai to help double Deshpande’s tally. Purple cap holder Mustafizur Rahman also got in on the act as he sent Rashid Khan and Rahul Tewatia, both caught by Ravindra, yet again.
Chennai limited Gujarat to 143 in their 20-over quota to register a mammoth win before travelling to Vizag to take on the Delhi Capitals for their first away game of the season.
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