Fans have seen pressure and drama build many times in the TATA IPL 2023, but the recent one where CSK and RR clashed for the 17th match of the tournament hit differently. Dhoni was on strike with two sixes in the last over against Sandeep Sharma. The margin was reduced to a point where victory was obvious for CSK.
However, RR clinched victory against Dhoni-led CSK by 3 runs, courtesy of Sandeep Sharma and the length he chose to bowl for the side. He experimented a bit when Jadeja took a turn to come to the strike. It was only a yorker that worked well for RR’s bowler.
In a friendly interaction with spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, Sandeep Sharma revealed that he chose to stick to what he knew the best – a perfect yorker that followed a couple of throws away from the batter.
The 20th over did not start the way he wanted, having sent the ball wide from the batter. That put pressure on him. Sandeep was on a mission to give fewer runs to the opponent. He, therefore, managed to calm his mind and get back on track. Despite being hit for two 6s, he expressed confidence in himself to change the angle and length of his throw.
Well done, Chahal responded to Sharma’s answer in a friendly interaction.
Well done indeed considering it was not easy to stop Dhoni, especially in the last. Not just that, Jadeja found it confusing while looking for the winning shot.
Both remained unbeaten, with the CSK skipper scoring 32 runs off 17 balls and his partner bringing in 25 runs off 15 balls.
It must have been difficult for CSK to lose in their own backyard. With an NRR of +1.588 and 6 points, RR claimed the victory and topped the tables. CSK, on the other hand, holds the fifth spot with an NRR of +0.225 and 4 points. After other teams reach the fourth round of their league match, they are likely to drop down.
Ambati Rayudu was substituted for the batting line-up. It was under the impression that a batter would help chase down the target of 176. Achievable, definitely, but Rayudu could only score a single before losing his wicket to Chahal’s world-class spin. Ruturaj Gaikwad now sits at the 4th rank in the Orange Cap standings with 197 runs to his name.
RR was buoyed by Joe Butler’s 52-run, 36-ball inning. Ashwin was sent up the order to establish a partnership, which he did brilliantly by scoring 30 runs off 22 balls. Ashwin was named Player of the Match for taking two wickets and contributing 22 runs to his team’s total.
CSK now have a chance to redeem their loss in the match against the Plessis-led RCB on April 17, 2023. Some of the top cricket betting sites are tilting towards CSK. Fans have refused to accept that and continue supporting their favorite team.
Notably, the match against RR was Dhoni’s 200th match as an IPL captain for CSK. A victory was supposed to be a gift from the entire team. They will not have to wait until the next event.
