Mustafizur reminded everyone of his rookie season as RCB batted.....
Digital desk: In the first IPL match of the season, Chennai Super Kings defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six wickets on Friday. Mustafizur Rahman set the tone with his arsenal of clever variations, while Ravindra Jadeja and Shivam Dube completed the job with their exceptional finishing abilities. With no home losses to RCB since 2008, CSK maintained their impressive record.
A good batting track saw RCB restricted to 173 for six, mostly thanks to Mustafizur's best-ever IPL figures of 4/29 in four overs. The visitors' only hope came from a 95-run sixth wicket stand off 50 balls between Anuj Rawat (48 off 25 balls) and Dinesh Karthik (38 not out off 26 balls).
When things might have become complicated in the run chase, Jadeja (25 not out off 17 balls) used his vast experience to propel a rusty Dube (34 off 28 balls) into a few quick doubles, completing the chase in 18.4 overs. By the end, Dube seemed even more confident in Jadeja's company as he quickly completed the chase.
Rachin Ravindra (37 from 15 balls) deserves credit too, as he set the tone with a masterful opening shot that included three sixes and as many boundaries.
Before being dismissed for good outfield play by Glenn Maxwell, Ajinkya Rahane (27 off 19 balls), who had a terrible Ranji season with the bat, also blasted a couple of sixes.
Alzarri Joseph and Cameron Green rained short balls on Dube and Daryl Mitchell (22 off 18 balls), with the latter falling victim to one of them.
Mustafizur reminded everyone of his rookie season as RCB batted, but Rawat's outstanding rearguard effort lifted the team to a competitive total.
Taking a risk at first, Rawat jumped into Tushar Deshpande, whose natural length is rather shorter. The course was reversed by three sixes and a four in the eighteenth over, as RCB scored 83 runs in their final six overs. In his innings, Rawat struck three sixes and four fours.
This came after Mustafizur reduced RCB to 78 for five with four wickets in his opening two overs. Sensing the pace of the pitch, Mustafizur didn't keep it too full and bowled between the 7-8 meter length to extract enough bounce to achieve a couple of dismissals. This was done in the Powerplay to thwart a rampaging Faf du Plessis (35 off 23).
In his first match back in the professional circuit after almost two months, Kohli scored an impressive 21 from 20 balls. After a two-month paternity leave, Kohli's first offensive stroke was a pull-six off Maheesh Theekshana (0/36 in 4 overs), but he never seemed in sync as a mistimed pull led to his departure. Kohli had only had to face six deliveries in the Powerplay. Rachin completed the relay catch after Rahane, who had grabbed it at deep mid-wicket, flipped it inside as he was about to scoot out.
But Mustafizur's best throw came when he rotated his wrists to bowl a cutter with an unsteady seam, which completely cleaned up Green. Deepak Chahar (1/37 in 4 overs) looked woefully short of match practice early on as captain Du Plessis gave his loopy outswingers a rough time.
However, RCB's happiness was short-lived as a quick knock left the captain in the deep. After stealing a wicket from Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stumps, Rajat Patidar's (0) miserable run since the England Tests continued.
However, RCB's happiness was short-lived as a quick knock left the captain in the deep. After stealing a wicket from Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stumps, Rajat Patidar's (0) miserable run since the England Tests continued.
Chahar benefited from the RCB's loss of momentum as he bowled a ball that pitched on the back of a length and moved slightly, catching Glenn Maxwell off guard.
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