On Sunday, Chennai Super Kings beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 13 runs at the MCA Stadium in IPL Pune, marking MS Dhoni’s return as captain (May 1). CSK scored 202/2 thanks to Ruturaj Gaikwad (99 off 57) and Devon Conway (85* off 55) who combined for 14 fours and 10 sixes. Â
Despite Nicholas Pooran’s unbeaten 64 off 33, SRH ran out of steam in the chase and were bowled out for 189/6, their second consecutive loss after a five-match winning streak. Mukesh Choudhary was CSK’s leading wicket-taker, with 4 for 46.
CSK’S success
CSK’s IPL 2021 success was largely due to the performances of their openers, who topped the run charts and were involved in seven fifty-plus partnerships, two of which were century partnerships.
Before their game against SRH in IPL 2022, CSK had the highest opening stand of 28. Gaikwad intended to correct the record by taking the lead in the 182-run first-inning stand.
He went about it steadily, with Conway providing strong assistance, and they helped CSK reach 40 for 0 after six overs, their biggest powerplay score in this season of the IPL. But this was just the start of what turned out to be a very amusing start.
Gaikwad’s innings
The SRH offensive was deflated by his shot repertoire and the rate at which he scored them. Especially the way he handled Umran Malik, who had just returned from a five-wicket haul, responding to aggressiveness with aggression.
In the eighth over, Malik was thrown into the assault, and he was hit for a four over cover and a six over long-on, with Gaikwad demonstrating his class on both the back and front foot. Gaikwad hit a straight four in Malik’s following over, the 10th, before top-edging one over the keeper’s head for another boundary, bringing up a 33-ball fifty.
In the 12th over, Gaikwad scored four and six off Malik with a slog over wide long-on and a precise shot over long-off. Aiden Markram had earlier bowled Gaikwad for a couple of sixes, coming down the track and diving down on one knee for clean strikes over long-on.
Conway on the Row
Consistently scoring runs and collecting timely boundaries. Conway got off to a poor start, scoring 15 from 19 at the end of the eighth over. But he swiftly changed gears, hitting Markram for four and six, as well as a boundary off Malik, chipping one past mid-off.
Conway brought up a 39-ball fifty against Marco Jansen after playing a cut shot for a four off Shashank Singh in the 14th over, and celebrated it with a four and a six in the same over, which yielded 20, as CSK crossed 150 in the 15th over.
Mukesh on the row
Pooran hit a six off Pretorius, while Shashank hit a four off Mukesh, who returned to the attack with a hat-trick in the 18th over.
Despite the fact that he did not get the hat-trick, he caused enough damage in the over to send both Shashank (caught behind) and Washington Sundar (bowled) to pocket four, leaving SRH needing 50 from the next two overs.
Pooran was given a reprieve when Santner took a catch in the penultimate over, bowled by Pretorius.
Published by – Mohit Maurya
Edited by – Soumyajit dutta
