IPL 2024 CSK vs KKR- Jadeja reins in KKR as Gaikwad takes the lead in a victory with few runs. Ravindra Jadeja (2nd left), snags three successful outs, helping his team keep Kolkata Knight Riders to just 137 on Monday.
Chennai Super Kings tasted victory on their home turf at Chepauk following two straight losses on the road. They bested Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets. Central to their third season win was Ravindra Jadeja. His impressive performance, yielding 4-0-18-3, was a significant asset to the game.
Kolkata needed early outs in the power play to halt Chennai’s chase
There was a bit of spin available. Plus, balls stayed low occasionally. Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy and Anukul Roy would have liked it. Even Mitchell Starc could have benefited ifhe bowled slow balls into the deck. But having only 137 to guard, beating a team stacked with batters was tough.
Without the heat of score pressure, Chennai aimed to recover their pace after losing in away games to Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad. As expected, Rachin Ravindra gave them a fast start and then left in the fourth over. At that point, Chennai had scored 52. After that, it was up to Ruturaj Gaikwad and Daryl Mitchell. They kept the game moving by regularly swapping turns and occasionally scoring boundaries. Gaikwad’s first season’s fifty off his 45th delivery shows how Chennai adjusted its approach.
The urgency was undoubtedly there. Gaikwad demonstrated skill, but the concern for Chennai arose from his lack of assertiveness. With the necessary run rate in check, he took the opportunity to accumulate some runs, which is sure to enhance his confidence before they meet with Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants in upcoming matches.
Mitchell left unexpectedly, even as the game was still going on. Then, Shivam Dube entered. He dealt the final blows, hitting three sixes in his signature style. With that, Chennai secured their stronghold.
Lighting up the powerplay
Before, when invited to bat first on a run-filled strip, Kolkata started with a bang. With dew predicted to affect the game later, Kolkata’s aggressive approach aimed at securing extra runs for a stronger defense. Although Phil Salt was out from the first throw, caught at point, Sunil Narine shattered Chennai’s dreams of immediate succession. As Angkrish Raghuvanshi gained momentum, Kolkata’s scores increased.
Runs tallied from overs 3, 4, and 5 were 19, 11, and 13, a throwback to vintage T20 batting, maximizing the fielding limits. Lack of discipline in Chennai’s offense worked in Kolkata’s favor. Mustafizur Rahman’s second over during the powerplay highlighted Chennai’s struggling position. The conceded 56 runs were Chennai’s highest this IPL season at home. While “Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo” echoed, Chepauk was hushed.
Ravindra Jadeja Brought Chennai back in the Game
In the past, Chepauk was the go-to place for spinners. But this season, there’s no trace of that. Instead, Chennai, with plenty of batting talent, often chooses flat pitches. They aim for scores of 180-190. This means Chennai’s spinners aren’t sharply challenging their rivals. Before Monday’s game, Chennai’s attack, lacking in spinners, was yet to shine. Matheesha Pathirana’s absence didn’t help. Additionally, others were costly. But, Ravindra Jadeja brought Chennai back in the game. Indeed, by the end of his spell, Jadeja had put Chennai in a winning position.
In his first throw, he managed to trap Raghuvanshi, who was trying a reverse-sweep. Four throws later, Jadeja caught Narine at long-off. The pitch, which wasn’t assisting until then, started to grip and turn slightly. Kolkata pulled in Venkatesh Iyer, an ideal counter to Jadeja. However, in his eight-ball stand, Iyer didn’t seem fully in control. He waved his bat without achieving a solid hit. Then, he mistimed a shot to Daryl Mitchell at deep mid-wicket. For the opposition at Chepauk, it was a familiar scene of spinners stifling them in the mid-overs.
Kolkata reached their first 50 in 4.6 overs. But, it took until the 15.2nd over for them to score 100 runs. They managed to score just 53 runs between the 7th and 16th overs, losing 4 wickets in the process. There was also a spell lasting 34 balls where Kolkata got no boundary runs.
Tame end
Kolkata’s slim hope for redemption rested solely on Andre Russell’s talent. As he stormed the field like John Cena at Wrestle Mania, even Chepauk applauded his entrance. The match was in need of a thrilling conclusion, to give the competition a dose of excitement. After Russell scored two impressive boundaries, a quiet anticipation flared. This suggested an impending Kolkata comeback.
More–
WC squad- Ganguly on Rishabh Pant says ‘it’s too early’ to take a call
RR vs RCB- Butler century overshadowed Kohli brilliant century
Chennai, however, had no intention of giving up their advantage so simply. Rather than catering to his strengths, Chennai’s team bowled off-target, which effectively silenced Russell. Tushar Deshpande soon stepped up, ousting Russell with a slower ball. Russell’s exit signaled the end for Kolkata, who only amassed 137/9. During the crucial last overs (17-20), Kolkata only added 28 runs and lost four wickets. Mustafizur (4-0-22-2) and Tushar Deshpande (4-0-33-3) expertly supported Jadeja in the attack.
IPL 2024 CSK vs KKR Brief Scores
Kolkata Knight Riders 137for 9 (lyer 34, Narine 27, Jadeja 3-18,Deshpande 3-33) lost to Chennai SuperKings 141 for 3 (Gaikwad 67, Dube 28;Vaibhav 2-28, Narine 1-30) by seven wickets.