Ajinkya Rahane is not regarded as an explosive T20 batsman, but the veteran proved everyone wrong with a magnificent 29-ball-71 to lead Chennai Super Kings to a victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. CSK’s innings featured five sixes and six boundaries, propelling them to the competition’s third-highest total. One of the standout shots was a reverse scoop for six off the bowling of Kulwant Khejroliya. The right-hander swung his bat open and scooped the ball over third base for a huge six.
A rejuvenated Rahane wowed Eden Gardens with his stunning stroke-play, which was matched by the muscular Shivam Dube (50 off 21 balls) and the ever-consistent Devon Conway (56 off 40 balls), with CSK reaching an impressive 235 for 4 in 20 overs.
With Jason Roy pulling a hamstring while fielding, the chase was out of the question and Dhoni’s young pace troika of Akash Singh (1/29 in 4 overs), Matheesa Pathirana (1/27 in 4 overs), and Tushar Deshpande (2/43 in 4 overs) along with seasoned spinners Moeen Ali (1/20 in 1 over), Maheesh Theekshana (2/32 in 4 overs) and Ravindra Jadeja (1/34 in 3 overs) restricted KKR to 186 for 8.
Jason Roy (61 off 26 balls), who came in at No. 5 due to a hamstring injury, tried his best with a 19-ball half-century, but 236 would have been a difficult order even with the greatest of batting lineups.
CSK now leads the standings with 10 points from seven games, while KKR has dropped to ninth position after their fifth defeat at the halfway mark.
To make matters worse, KKR received little home support, as the 67,000-capacity Eden stands resembled a Sunflower, with a ‘Canary Yellow’ shirt filling every corner of the venue.
