Images from the IPL 2024 match between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans at the M A Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, on Tuesday.
Chennai Super Kings' batters dazzled before the bowlers ran riot to thrash Gujarat Titans by a thumping 53-run margin in the IPL 2024 match in Chennai on Tuesday.
It was a clinical all-round performance by CSK in front of their home fans as they dominated with both bat and ball. Opener Rachin Ravindra gave the hosts a rampaging start as he slammed 20-ball-46 before Shivam Dube took the Titans' bowlers to cleaners as he hammered a belligerent 51 from just 23 balls.
In between, Gaikwad himself maintained the balance with 36-ball-46 as Chennai piled a huge 206/6 in their 20 overs. In reply, Titans finished on 143/8 as the pace trio of Chahar (2/28 in 4 overs), Mustafizur Rahman (2/30 in 4 overs) and Tushar Deshpande (2/21) claimed two wickets each.
Titans struggled in the run chase right from the start as captain Shubman Gill perished to a poor shot against Chahar, looking to heave the pacer across the line but missed and was trapped leg before wicket for eight, in the third over.
Gill's early departure left Titans with a huge task on hand. Wriddhiman Saha (21 off 17 balls) and Sai Sudharsan (37 from 31 balls) struggled to keep up with the asking rate.
Saha became Chahar's second victim as he pulled the short ball straight to Deshpande at deep square leg.
Part-time medium pacer Daryl Mitchell also contributed with the ball as he got Vijay Shankar caught behind for 12 with Dhoni taking a superb catch, diving full length to his right.
David Miller (21) also fell to another sensational catch with senior pro Rahane completing a diving catch at deep midwicket before Sudharsan became Impact Sub Matheesha Pathirana's first wicket of the innings.
Azmatullah Omarzai was caught on the off-side by Ravindra off the bowling of Deshpande in the 16th over and Rashid Khan fell to Mustafizur Rahman in the next over, who also accounted for Rahul Tewatia for six.
Earlier, Rachin Ravindra started with a bang and Shivam Dube finished with a flourish to power CSK to a huge total.
Ravindra made full use of the Powerplay, racing to 46 off 20 balls while Dube, a nightmare for spinners, then used his long levers to whack 51 from just 23 deliveries to increase the challenge of GT batters by manifold.
Dube entertained the home fans in Chennai, smashing as many five sixes.
In between, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad's chiselled 46 off 36 balls also was a significant contribution in another impactful batting performance by the team on a hard bouncy track that was on offer.
Not to forget CSK's Rs 7.60 crore recruit Sameer Rizvi (14 off 6 balls), who pummelled Afghanistan's spin ace Rashid Khan for two sixes in the 19th over to make it a memorable first ever innings in IPL.
Ravindra, who has already become a darling of the CSK fans, enthralled all and sundry with his audacious stroke-play. The three sixes -- a flick behind the square and one over long-on off the normally profligate Umesh Yadav and one off Azmatullah Omarzai were hit with so much disdain that it did put Gujarat Titans in a spot.
There were some crunchy cover drives as well as Ravindra let his skipper Gaikwad breathe a little easy at the other end.
Finally, it was GT's dependable spinner Rashid, who drew the first blood but more because of smart work from Wriddhiman Saha, who removed the bails in a flash after the New Zealand youngster lost his balance and moved out of his crease trying to whip the delivery.
Saha's next stumping was way easier as Sai Kishore shortened the length and drew Ajinkya Rahane out of his crease for an indiscreet loft. The ball deviated enough and the keeper completed mere formality.
Gaikwad wasn't as fluent as Ravindra to begin with but in his five boundaries and a six, he oozed class before becoming Saha's third victim with the gloves, trying to pull Spencer Johnson, only to end up edging one behind the stumps.
After that it was Dube, who just plonked his front-foot and bludgeoned Sai Kishore for two monstrous sixes off the first two balls he faced and he also sent Johnson's delivery soaring for a maximum.
Dube had the composed Daryl Mitchell for company, who also chipped in with an unbeaten 20-ball 24 in a stand of 57 runs for the fourth wicket in 5.5 overs.
