Hyderabad: Rajasthan Royals (RR) has been sweeping oppositions this season with a thoroughgoing approach and on Wednesday, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) too found themselves at the receiving end of the game after losing out by the thinnest of margins, 3 runs.
It was Sandeep Sharma who kept his jangled nerves calm in the last over to triumph over the man, playing his 200th IPL game and a master of last-over finishes -- MS Dhoni. The win has now propped them at the top of the IPL's points table as the second position has been captured by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) due to a poorer run-rate despite the same number of victories.
With Rinku Singh's onslaught still capturing our imagination, who hit five sixes to take his team home, Dhoni, a master finisher, couldn't replicate the same come the last over against RR.
What happened when Dhoni came to the crease?
Chennai Super Kings were in desperate need to accelerate their run rate with 63 runs still needed in 30 balls. In came MSD, playing his 200th game for his franchise amidst deafening cheer by the crowd at Chepauk. The spinners were playing their role perfectly up until then, restricting the CSK's batters with their trickery and tight bowling. With Dhoni and Jadeja on the crease, it came down to 40 runs in the last two overs.
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In the arc & out of the park! 💪 💪
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 12, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
That was one mighty hit from MSD 👏 👏
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/IgV0Ztjhz8#TATAIPL | #CSKvRR | @msdhoni | @ChennaiIPL pic.twitter.com/UU9cetHVHv
">In the arc & out of the park! 💪 💪
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 12, 2023
That was one mighty hit from MSD 👏 👏
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/IgV0Ztjhz8#TATAIPL | #CSKvRR | @msdhoni | @ChennaiIPL pic.twitter.com/UU9cetHVHvIn the arc & out of the park! 💪 💪
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 12, 2023
That was one mighty hit from MSD 👏 👏
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/IgV0Ztjhz8#TATAIPL | #CSKvRR | @msdhoni | @ChennaiIPL pic.twitter.com/UU9cetHVHv
Read: Dhoni nursing a knee injury, Magala out for two weeks: CSK coach Fleming
The 19th over was bowlder by West Indies' Jason Holder and Jadeja made the most out of it by hitting two sixes and a boundary, gathering 19 runs for his team and setting the stage perfectly for that perfect finish by Dhoni in the last over.
With 21 runs to win in the final over, Sandeep seemed to be losing out on the pressure battle and dished out two wide to start off with which brought the score down to 19 runs to win for Chennai. Sharma, in his attempt to nail yorkers, bowled back-to-back full-tosses which Dhoni smacked for two sixes. This was vintage Dhoni at his best as the CSK team needed 7 runs in 3 balls.
However, Sandeep held his nerve and bowled three toe-crushing yorkers which flummoxed Dhoni as he couldn't get under the ball to hit it into the stands. The Chennai team was denied a victory in Dhoni's 200th game and RR found itself on the top of the table.
CSK bowling too many extras?
The game of Cricket is known for its unpredictability and the teams can skittle out by the thinnest of margins, more so, in the T-20 game. Even extras can make a difference and the bowlers need to be ensure to restrict them, especially the no balls that invite an extra delivery to a batter, who will not be adjudged out.
When a team loses by 3 runs, a lot of department needs to be carefully assessed and re-looked at as to what went wrong. This match saw both the teams bowling 10 extra in their 20 overs quota. For CSK, it has been an issue for a while. Dhoni's earlier reprimand to the bowlers for bowling too many extras where he said that they should be ready to play under a new captain if the habit continues doesn't seem to have much effect on them.
Though no 'no' balls were bowled, there were 10 extras from the team against a rampaging and formidable Rajasthan side. Dhoni, though, this time chose to stay mum on the issue. Placed 5th in the points table, Dhoni's men can still put on a show as they always have but careful introspection would be required if they are to clinch their fifth IPL time this time around.
