The fortress at Chepauk stood untouched as the Chennai Super Kings registered a comprehensive 63-run win over the Gujarat Titans on Monday in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
After flying high in the first inning with the bat, Deepak Chahar provided the ideal start by picking up two wickets in the powerplay, dismissing Wriddhiman Saha (21) and skipper Shubman Gill (8).
Despite stumbling twice, GT managed to put 43/2 on the board at the end of the powerplay.
In the middle phase, GT started to fall behind the asking rate, making the record chase of 207 at Chepauk an unchasable dream.
MS Dhoni showed his class with the golves as he went airborne to take a diving catch and send Vijay Shankar back for 12.
Sai Sudharsan (37) got off to a positive start, but David Miller (21), Vijay Shankar (12) and Azmatullah Omarzai (11) struggled to stitch up meaningful partnerships.
Tushar Deshpande scalped two in the middle phase, while Daryl Mitchell and Matheesha Pathirana claimed a wicket each to ensure the pressure kept mounting on GT.
Mustafizur Rahman came in to remove Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan to further put a dent on GT’s chase.
GT never threatened to chase down the target in the final six overs, as CSK inflicted GT’s biggest defeat in terms of runs.
Earlier in the innings, put to bat, CSK got off to a flying start, despite losing Rachin Ravindra’s wicket in the final over of the powerplay. The young New Zealand opener once again spread his wings in the powerplay and amassed 46 off just 20 deliveries.
He took the onus of scoring runs, while skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad provided the ideal support on the other end. Rachin’s fiery knock brought up the third successive 50-plus opening partnership for CSK against GT.
Rachin’s transition from strike rotation to effortlessly picking up boundaries was a sight to behold as he struck six fours and three maximums. Rashid Khan brought an end to Rachin’s onslaught but the left-handed batter’s effort helped CSK amass 69/1.
Ajinkya Rahane walked back before he could adjust to the surface. Shivam Dube came and wasted no time getting going as he sent the ball sailing into the stand on two consecutive deliveries. Gaikwad (46), who used a cautious approach, got nicked by Spencer Johnson before he could complete his 50.
Dube continued his onslaught on one end while Daryl Mitchell took his time to get his innings going. The left-handed batter picked up Mohit Sharma’s back-of-the-hand delivery and smoked it straight into the stands. He picked up a double in the final ball of his over to raise his bat for 50 in 22 deliveries.
GT skipper Shubman Gill introduced Rashid back into the attack and instantly reaped rewards. The Afghanistan spinner removed Dube on the second ball of the 19th over.
Sameer Rizvi came in and joined the action straightaway with a six on his very first ball in the IPL. On the final ball of the over, he tonked another maximum to bring up 15 runs from the over.
In the final over, he tried to pick Mohit Sharma’s undercooked yorker but failed to get the elevation, with David Miller taking the catch comfortably. CSK ended the innings with a score of 206/6.
Brief Score: CSK 206/6 (Shivam Dube 51, Rachin Ravindra 46; Rashid Khan 2-49) vs GT 143/8 (Sai Sudharsan 37; Deepak Chahar 2-28, Tushar Deshpande 2-21).
