IPL 2022 | CSK vs RCB | Chennai break jinx with comprehensive 23-run win over 'Bold Army'

Whirlwind knocks from Shivam Dube and Robin Uthappa and brilliant bowling from the spin-duo of Mahesh Theekshana and Ravindra Jadeja have helped the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 23 runs on Tuesday (April 12) night.

Needing 217 to win, the Royal Challengers needed their openers to maximise the powerplay, something that they have been guilty of not doing throughout this season. 

And, once again, the duo of Faf du Plessis and Anuj Rawat failed to do that. Chennai employed the spin duo of Moeen Ali and Maheesh Theekshana in the powerplay, and the move paid dividends.

Captain du Plessis (8 off 9 deliveries) once again perished in an attempt to hit the bowler (in this case, Theekshana) down the ground, while Rawat (12 off 16 deliveries) was trapped plumb in front by the Lankan spinner.

Between all this, Virat Kohli perished for a 3-ball 1, during an attempt to pull Mukesh Choudhary at deep square-leg.

With the score reading 42/3 after the powerplay and two big guns back in the shed, CSK would dominate the proceedings from thereon. 

But, as has been the case with RCB this season, their middle-order rose to the occasion big time. First, Glenn Maxwell hammered a rapid 11-ball 26 before getting his stumps pegged back by Jadeja. Then, the duo of Shahbaz Ahmed (41 off 27 deliveries) and Suyash Prabhudessai (34 off 18 deliveries) showcased their hitting talent to the hilt during a whirlwind 60-run-stand.

While Ahmed was at his best, Prabhudessai turned heads with his authoritative and confident demeanour and 360 degrees of stroke play.

Cut, dab, scoop, slog sweep - the young lad from Goa showed it all during his brisk knock before Theekshana sent him packing.

Theekshana soon claimed his fourth as he knocked over Ahmed with the carrom ball, leaving Dinesh Karthik with the task of another heist.

Karthik tried his best as he smashed a rapid 34 off just 14 deliveries, and when he hammered Mukesh for 23 in the 17th over, it looked like we were in for a big finish.

However, Bravo once again proved to be the game-changer for CSK as he dismissed the dangerous-looking Karthik with another slower delivery- one that Karthik could only hit as far as the deep mid-wicket fielder- to effectively kill the game and set up a 23-run win for the defending champions.

Whirlwind blitz from Dube, Robin guided CSK to 216/4

Batting first, Chennai got off to a poor start as opener Ruturaj Gaikwad (17 off 16 deliveries) yet again failed to convert his start into a big knock.

Gaikwad was trapped leg-before-wicket by his former teammate, Josh Hazlewood, in the 4th over. The Super Kings managed just 35 runs in the powerplay, with Robin Uthappa scoring at a run-a-ball 14.

It got worse during the next four overs as they lost the wicket of Moeen Ali (to Glenn Maxwell) and managed just 25 runs.

At 2-60 after 10, CSK desperately needs to move on to post an above-par total.

The onslaught finally came via the bats of Shivam Dube and Uthappa, who shifted gears with ridiculous ease in the 2nd half of his innings.

Dube - who later won the Man of the Match for his maverick like stuff - smashed a breathtaking 46-ball 95; an innings studded with 5 four and eight sumptuous and monstrous sixes - and along with Robin (88 off 50 deliveries), hammered 121 runs between them in the next 8.5 overs.

RCB desperately missed the services of Harshal Patel during the middle and death overs, and their problems were compounded even more because of poor bowling by Akash Deep (0/58 in 4 overs) and Mohammed Siraj (0/37 in 4 overs).

Uthappa, who had managed just 23 runs from his first 22 deliveries, smoked his last 65 runs in just 28 to finish with a 50-ball 88. The duo added a record 165 runs for the 3rd wicket, beating a decade-old record of 157 runs held by Kumar Sangakkara and Cameron White for the Deccan Chargers.

The 165-run-stand finally ended when Uthappa holed out to Virat in the 19th over but only before he and Dube had helped CSK post the highest total of the tournament - 216/4.

Brief Scores:

Chennai Super Kings - 216/4 (20)

Shivam Dube 95* (46), Robin Uthappa 88 (50);

Wanindu Hasaranga 2/35 (4), Josh Hazlewood 1/33 (4)

Royal Challengers Bangalore - 193/9 (20)

Shahbaz Ahmed 41 (27), Suyash Prabhudessai 34 (18), Dinesh Karthik 34 (14); 

Mahesh Theekshana 4/33 (4), Ravindra Jadeja 3/39 (4)

Chennai Super Kings won by 23 runs.