Chennai Super Kings trounced Royal Challengers Bangalore in match number 35 of the Indian Premier League 2018 in a doubleheader Saturday in Pune. It was those match of sorts when the CSK bowlers stunned the star-studded RCB batting before the regular in-form stalwarts sealed the tie. Fans witnessed all-round CSK inflicting misery on RCB as the latter’s inconsistency grew wider.
MS Dhoni’s CSK wanted to bounce back from the defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders and they had it in their new found home. After being set a paltry target of 129 runs, MS Dhoni’s side took command with a six-wicket victory. In-form Ambati Rayudu and the skipper himself were once again in the thick of things with the bat.
Like the last match a run feast was expected between these two sides, but it wasn’t on offer as the veteran spin twins of CSK snapped up five wickets between them to choke RCB.
All over! Thala @msdhoni goes on a rampage as @ChennaiIPL beat #RCB by 6 wickets in Pune. #CSKvRCB #VIVOIPL
Details – https://t.co/K5c8f0EU80 pic.twitter.com/mold0yYZRU
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 5, 2018
STAT ATTACK – CSK VS RCB
- MS Dhoni hit his 27th six in IPL 2018, which is the highest by any batsman this season.
- The two sides met for the 22nd time in IPL history and  CSK registered its 14th win.
- Further, CSK has defeated RCB in all of the last six games they have played.
- This was R Jadeja’s first 3-wicket haul across all T20s in three years.
- Parthiv made his debut for RCB after being benched for eight matches.
- Dhoni’s stumping of AB today was his 32nd of IPL. Highest by any keeper.
Rayudu, MSD continue good work
In a low-scoring affair, CSK needed to be composed and wise and Rayudu upfront provided them the comforts. His 32 runs was a cushion atop as he raced past the 400-run mark in IPL 2018. He now has 423 runs and the Orange Cap intact for the moment. Rayudu took his time in a 25-ball innings slamming two sixes and three fours.
The 44-run stand with Suresh Raina (25) paid dividends as they kept the RCB bowlers at bay. Then came in Mahi! At 80/4 CSK were tottering a bit and RCB produced some fightback, but the calm head of Dhoni ensured there were no hiccups. He started off slowly and indulged the bowlers before saying enough is enough and smashing three sixes.
What bodes well for CSK is the form of the duo. One atop and another in the middle-order. Dhoni reached 360 runs this IPL campaign and when you look at their contribution, it’s a stupendous figure of 783. That’s massive when two top run-getters are of the same team.
Umesh has come a long way
RCB may find it very difficult to book a top-four berth, but one thing that has happened to them in a positive manner is the form of Umesh. Time and time again the pacer has continued to grow this season and it’s a vintage Umesh 2.0 it seems as of now.
The pace clocked on top, as Umesh’s accuracy was spell bound to leave one in admiration. In four overs his figures read 2/15 against a quality CSK batting spells volume. RCB did not have the runs on the board but Umesh stood tall and hungry. He reached the summit as the joint-top wicket-taker with Trent Boult (13).
RCB’s over-dependence on Kohli
If Kohli fails, so does RCB! This is a recurring phenomenon. And fans in Pune saw the same on a Saturday afternoon. Kohli was dismissed for eight, and once his wicket fell, the others gave in. AB de Villiers looked rusty since missing a couple of games, but that was no excuse for the rest to get dismissed in the manner they did.
From 47/2, they reached 89/8 at no time. Kohli has been the fulcrum of this RCB side, scoring 357 runs in nine matches. Besides AB, no other batsman has given a consistent performance throughout. How long will this pattern continue? As long as it does, never expect RCB to win the IPL title!
Jadeja hits back at trolls
The best revenge is to silence them with hard work. That’s what Ravindra Jadeja did in this game to silence all the people trolling him on social media after a poor outing against KKR. On Saturday, Jaddu was on top gear and used the Pune pitch at perfection. In four overs he picked 3/18 that included the priceless wicket of Kohli off the first ball he bowled. Brilliant!
He also sent back the dangerous looking Parthiv Patel (53) and Mandeep Singh (7). Jadeja bowled tight and was on the slower side.. Sticking to basics did him wonders. He was massively helped by Harbhajan Singh (2/22). Credit to Dhoni for once again managing the duo well.