Chennai Super Kings shook off a horror start to their IPL 2022 campaign to defeat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 23 runs at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday. This was CSK’s first win of the season – the defending champions had lost their first four matches and coach Stephen Fleming had admitted the team’s self-belief was shaken.
However, on Tuesday, up against an in-form RCB, there seemed to be no dearth of self-belief even after a poor start with the bat. Shivam Dube (95 not out) and Robin Uthappa (88) added 165 for the 2nd wicket as CSK went from 60 for 2 at the end of 10 overs to 216 for 4 at the end of 20.
RCB needed a good start to challenge CSK but they lost Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli and Anuj Rawat by the end of the powerplay. Glenn Maxwell was looking dangerous but his innings was cut short by Ravindra Jadeja.
CSK vs RCB, IPL 2022 Highlights
Debutant Suyash Prabhudessai, Shahbaz Ahmed and Dinesh Karthik tried heroically but the ask was too demanding after RCB’s big guns failed to fire. Karthik gave Chennai fans a huge scare, going on a six-hitting spree but he was dismissed off 34 from 14 balls in the 18th over by Dwayne Bravo. It was the first time Karthik was dismissed in the new season.
After Faf du Plessis won the toss and decided to bowl against his old team, CSK lost Ruturaj Gaikwad to Josh Hazlewood, another ex-CSK star. Moeen Ali was brilliantly run out by Suyash Prabhudessai but Robin Uthappa and Shivam Dube hit back with vengeance and their century partnership for the third wicket left the RCB bowlers dazed.
CSK started off watchfully and they were in a spot of bother at 36 for 2 in the 7th over but Uthappa and Dube ensured the defending champions had enough runs on the board to challenge the star-studded batting line of Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell.
It was a furious fightback from Chennai Super Kings – they were 60 for 2 off 10 overs. In the next 10 overs, the Super Kings added 156 runs.
Robin Uthappa was dismissed by Wanindu Hasaranga for 88 after he had added 165 for the third wicket with Shivam Dube in 12.1 overs. Shivam Dube came close to his maiden hundred as well but he perished to Josh Hazlewood for 94 in the final ball of the CSK innings.
FAF, KOHLI FAIL
Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli were dismissed cheaply in RCB’s chase of 217. While du Plessis fell to spinner Maheesh Theekshana while Mukesh Choudhary got Kohli, the highest run-scorer in the history of the Indian Premier League.
Anuj Rawat, who scored his maiden IPL half-century against Punjab Kings a few nights back, became Theekshana’s second victim as RCB continued their disastrous start to a massive chase.
Chennai Super Kings had scored over 200 in their second match of the season but they had failed to defend their total against Lucknow Super Giants. On Tuesday, CSK started brilliantly by picking up three big wickets to set RCB back.
JADEJA GETS MAXWELL
CSK skipper Ravindra Jadeja has had an ordinary season so far but he got the important wicket of Glenn Maxwell in his first over on Tuesday. It was the 7th time Jadeja had dismissed Maxwell in T20s. Maxwell had shown early signs of responding to the Super Kings but the CSK captain outwitted the dangerous RCB batter with an arm ball to send him packing for an 11-ball 26.
SUYASH DAZZLES ON DEBUT
Suyash Prabhudessai made his debut for RCB only because Harhsal Patel had to return home after the demise of his sister. In his first match, Suyash Prabhudessai made an immediate impact – first with a sensational run out and then with the bat. Coming in to bat at No.6, he took on Chris Jordan and Ravindra Jadeja right away to fight back after a poor start for his team. While experienced campaigners du Plessis and Kohli were removed before the powerplay, Suyash came out all guns blazing and showed some real spunk along with Shahbaz Ahmed, who himself played some scintillating shots.
Suyash was dropped on 32 in Dwayne Bravo’s first over but he could not capitalise on the dropped chance – after adding 2 more runs to his score, he was done in by Maheesh Theekshana.
SPIN MAGIC
RCB came coming hard at CSK despite losing quick wickets because they had no other chouce in a steep chase. However, Maheesh Theekshana came to the party for the defending champions in only his second match and picked the 4 key wickets of Faf du Plessis, Anuj Rawat, Suyash Prabhudessai and Shahbaz Ahmed. He should have taken Dinesh Karthik’s wicket too but Mukesh Choudhary dropped an easy catch at point.
NO SPARK
Ruturaj Gaikwad was the highest run-scorer last season but he has failed to set the stage on fire in 2022. He got out for 0, 1, 1 and 16 in the first four matches for the Super Kings but on Tuesday, he looked better than he has all summer so far. Three boundaries from the young opener did seem to set the tone for CSK but he was trapped LBW by former CSK pacer and RCB debutant Josh Hazlewood for 17.
SENSATIONAL RUN OUT
Moeen Ali is all about intent but he wanted to take his time in the middle after another early wicket for CSK. A few overs of him in the middle with the bat and any bowling attack would start to stress. But his innings was cut short by Suyash Prabhudessai, another RCB debutant. Suyash Prabhudessai stopped a cut from Moeen at backward point and then followed that up with a superb throw to wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik who destroyed the stumps with Moeen well short of the crease.
FIREWORKS FROM CSK
This was Chennai Super Kings’ 200th match in the IPL. Maybe, that was enough motivation to do something special after a dismal start to their campaign in 2022. Shivam Dube and Robin Uthappa have been the best batters for the Super Kings this season and the two came together to take the attack to Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Dube took on the wily Wanindu Hasaranga, hitting him for a six and a four in his first over. Uthappa was more circumspect but he decided it was time to up the ante in Glenn Maxwell’s third over – smashing the part-time off-spinner for three sixes.
Uthappa was the first of the two to get to his half-century, taking only 33 balls to bring up the milestone . Dubey reached his fifty off just 30 balls.
Robin Uthappa hit a six off Josh Hazlewood in the 16th to bring up the 100-run partnership off only 53 balls with Shivam Dube. CSK would have been very concerned at one stage but the breathtaking partnership for the third wicket helped them set up a total their bowlers would have been happy to work with.
Robin Uthappa was caught by Suyash Prabhudessai in the deep when he was on 81 but the bowler Mohammed Siraj had overstepped. Luck was smiling on the 4-time champs and RCB’s bowlers were dazed.
Uthappa eventually fell for 88 to a googly from Hasaranga but by then, he had added 165 runs with Shivam Dube.