After ending the year-long wait, the cricket enthusiasts experienced the first match of the IPL. In the inaugural match, Chennai Super Kings locked horns with Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chidambaram Stadium. Fans enjoyed a classic showdown. Both teams fought hard but CSK sealed the match. It was Ruturaj Gaikwad’s first win as captain. After the match, fans are adoring his Instagram post.
The Classic Showdown:
In a gripping match held at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, RCB’s skipper Faf du Plessis opted to bat first after winning the toss. The opening pair of Virat Kohli and du Plessis laid a solid foundation, amassing 41 runs before the latter’s departure. Du Plessis exhibited fine form, striking eight boundaries en route to his 35-run innings. However, in a decisive turn of events, Mustafizur Rahman scalped both Rajat Patidar (0) and du Plessis in the same over, thwarting RCB’s momentum.
Ruturaj Gaikwad (15 runs) and Rachin Ravindra (37 runs off 15 balls) showed promise but couldn’t convert their starts into substantial innings. Notably, Ravindra made a memorable IPL debut with an impressive performance. RCB faced further setbacks as Glenn Maxwell fell to Deepak Chahar without opening his account, followed by Mustafizur’s dismissals of Cameron Green (18) and Kohli (21).
Anuj Rawat and Dinesh Karthik then formed a crucial partnership, adding 95 runs to RCB’s total, guiding them to 173/6. Rawat top-scored for RCB with 48 runs off 25 balls, showcasing his hitting prowess with three sixes and four fours. Meanwhile, Karthik remained unbeaten with 38 runs from 26 deliveries, comprising three fours and two sixes. Mustafizur Rahman emerged as the standout bowler for CSK, claiming four vital wickets, and contributing significantly to his team’s performance.
Ruturaj’s Instagram Story:
Just 24 hours before the game, CSK management announced Ruturaj Gaikwad’s name as CSK’s captain. MS Dhoni Passed the baton to the youngster. In the first captaincy assignment, Ruturaj performed well and sealed the first win of the league. After that, he posted two pictures. He shared the first picture with MS Dhoni. In the second one, he shared the IPL trophy and RCB skipper Faf du Plessis. Fans are adoring CSK’s new skipper’s post.
After winning the first match, he opened up. He said, “Total control I would say, right from the start (apart) from 2-3 overs. Would’ve loved 10-15 runs less but I think they played really well towards the end. I feel that was a big turning point to get Maxwell and Faf out. We got three quick wickets and it helped us control the next overs, that was the real turning point. I’ve always enjoyed it (captaincy), never felt it as an additional pressure. I had experience on how to handle it, never felt any pressure, obviously had Mahi (MS Dhoni) bhai as well.”
Later he added, “I think everyone in our squad are natural strokeplayers, I think even Jinks (Ajinkya Rahane) is playing really positively. Everyone knows their roles and which bowlers to take on. Role clarity really helps. Two-three things to work on, everyone batted well but I think if someone from the top 3 batted till the 15th over it would’ve been even easier.”
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