IPL 2022 | CSK vs RCB- Superstars and under-performer of the match

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) locked horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 22nd match of IPL 2022 at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. The fans witnessed a high-scoring thriller as 409 runs were scored in the game. There were some extraordinary performances, and it was difficult to call a single player the ‘Superstar of the Match.’ 

The Superstars of the Match for the encounter are Robin Uthappa and Shivam Dube.

Robin Uthappa: Bangalore won the toss in the match and decided to field first. CSK’s start to the innings was disappointing once again. They were 36 for 2 down in just the 7th over of the innings. Uthappa put together a massive partnership of 165 runs with Shivam Dube at this stage and batted the opposition out of the match. Uthappa’s innings was a perfect blend of composure and carnage. Let us see how he built his innings. 

Table: Robin Uthappa Strike Rate vs RCB

Observation: As it is evident, Robin Uthappa looked to steady himself initially. CSK lost two quick wickets, but Uthappa did not lose his calm and looked to get himself settled and get acquainted with the playing conditions. As Shivam Dube joined him and started taking the attack on the bowlers, Uthappa began to shift gears. He was just 22 from the first 20 deliveries and scored the subsequent 58 runs off just 30 deliveries. 

The innings was perfectly built and was one of the main reasons CSK was able to win their first match of the tournament. Robbie turned the clock back ten years and displayed vintage Uthappa staff. His ideal T20 knock makes him one of the ‘Superstars of the Match.’

Shivam Dube: Shivam Dube walked out to bat when CSK’s score was 36 for 2 in the 7th over. What he did in the next 13 overs was nothing short of destruction. He brought down hell on the RCB bowlers as he thrashed them to every part of the ground at his will. His counter-attacking knock allowed Uthappa the time to settle down before he joined Dube in the carnage. Let us look at how he built his innings.

Observation: Shivam Dube looked to attack the RCB bowlers from the beginning of the innings. As he got settled, he destroyed the RCB attack. His strike rate increased from 125 in the first 20 deliveries to 250 in the next ten. After this, it touched 300, and he was thrashing the bowlers for fun. 

Every ball that touched Dube’s bat ended outside the boundary. On the back of Dube’s carnage, CSK reached a total of 216 runs in their 20 overs. CSK successfully defended their massive total by 23 runs and won their first match in the tournament. The destructive batting from Dube makes him the second ‘Superstar of the Match.”

Underperformer of the match: Shivam Dube and Robin Uthappa took on all the bowlers of RCB, but the young pacer in Akash Deep looked vulnerable under pressure. In the 18th over of the CSK innings, Akash Deep gave away 24 runs, including four wides. He looked nervous under pressure and was under-confident against the dynamic duo. 

But it was evident that nervousness was getting into him as he could not execute his plans correctly. He gave 58 runs at an economy of 14.5 runs per over in the four overs that he bowled without a wicket. The expensive bowling effort from Akash Deep makes him the ‘Under-performer of the Match.’