Quick guide:
Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
On April 25, 2021, the table toppers took on each other in a clash that was anticipated to be another tight contest of the tournament in a Wankhede pitch that’d been behaving as both a batting paradise and a slow wicket in tandem over the last few days!
CSK won the toss and opted to bat first with two changes: Bravo and Tahir in for Moeen Ali and Ngidi. The unbeaten RCB made two changes by bringing in Dan Christian and Saini for Richardson and Shahbaz.
Also Read: The battle of Super Kings and the Knights
Match Summary
1st Innings
The CSK openers Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad opened solidly for CSK punishing the odd deliveries and scored wicketless 51 in powerplay. After an opening partnership of 74, Gaikwad fell to Chahal when he misread the legbreak of Chahal for a solidly played 33(25) in the 10th over.
Suresh Raina joined Faf du Plessis on the crease to capitalize on the start the openers had put. After being hit for a few boundaries, RCB came back strongly when the purple cap holder Harshal Patel provided a twin blow dismissing Raina 24(18) and the well set half centurion du Plessis 50(41) in back to back deliveries.
The new batsmen on crease Ambati Rayudu and Jadeja started the reconstruction, but Rayudu soon fell to Harshal Patel for 14(7). The innings was all set for around 160 to 170 runs on the board after 20 overs, but Jadeja had other ideas!
In the last over, Jadeja totally negated Harshal by handing brutal blows that costed 37 runs (5 sixes,1 four and a couple) including a No-ball! Jadeja who was given a life at 0, took CSK to an once unimaginable score of 191 with an unbeaten 62(28) with Dhoni on 2(3).
Watch : Jadeja’s 37 runs in an over carnage
2nd Innings
Chasing 192, RCB made their intentions clear when Kohli started off with a boundary and Devdutt Padikkal who’s in red hot form joined the scoring with a boundary in the first over. With first 3 overs going for 44 runs, young Sam Curran provided the much needed breakthrough by dismissing RCB skipper Kohli for 8 off 7.
Washington Sundar was promoted up the order with the same ask that Jadeja obliged for CSK. Shardul Thakur successfully executed the plan of tempting Padikkal to a miscued hit to backward square leg for 34(15). Maxwell who came in, started with two back to back boundaries. Just as the partnership started being built, Washington Sundar was dismissed on a mishit off Jadeja, which was the start of everything that was to come next!
The most attacking pair of RCB Maxwell-Ab de Villiers are now on crease with a big repair to be done, but Maxwell succumbed to the pressure exerted by CSK and lost his wicket to Jadeja for 22(15). Things worsened when Dan Christian soon had to depart after being run out by Jadeja who seemed to be in every action of CSK. The final hopes of RCB were shattered when De Villiers became yet another victim of Jadeja for 4(9). Imran Tahir joined the bowling feast by dismissing Harshal Patel for a nought.
And what had to follow was a mere finishing formality. Navdeep Saini was sent to pavilion by Tahir for 2(4), Jamieson by Bravo for 16(13). Mohammed Siraj 12(14) and Chahal 8(21) showed some resistance to stay in the crease till the end before RCB were restricted to 122/9 in 20 overs, and put a halt to their winning streak by CSK who registered a 69 run win, their 4th of the season!
Jadeja was the man with golden arm, with 62 runs in batting, 3 wickets for 13 runs off 4 overs in bowling and effecting a direct hit Run out! CSK dragged RCB down to a similar count of wins and losses as theirs, pausing RCB’s run of glory!
Watch: CSK vs RCB (Highlights)
Key Takeaways
- When life poses a challenge like Harshal Patel, make sure you get over it like Jadeja!
- Don’t let the 37 in an over make you think that you cannot perform like 3-0-14-3 again.
We keep saying that we focus on the process. You gain more respect if you keep following your path when you’re under pressure. I think that is something that gave a lot of confidence to the players.
~M. S. Dhoni in Post match Interview
– By Dhinesh Babu (Guest Author), Urvi Shah (Author)
Great work Dhinesh!! 👏
Very insightful !! Keep up the good work 👍