Chennai Super Kings (CSK) outplayed Gujarat Titans (GT) in all departments on the game in their second home game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. After posting a target of 207, CSK bowlers were on target and got support from senior players. Former skipper MS Dhoni and Ajinkya Rahane pulled off spectacular diving catches to enthrall the Chennai crowd and prove that age is just a number.
In the eighth over of GT's run chase, Daryl Mitchell produced an outside edge off Vijay Shankar's bat. Dhoni put in a full-length dive to his right and took the catch comfortably. He managed to get two hands to the ball.
Later in the innings, David Miller and Sai Sudharsan were building a partnership. Tushar Deshpande bowled it full and Miller flicked it towards deep mid-wicket. Rahane came running from the deep, dived, and got two hands underneath the ball to pull off an excellent catch.
From 96/4 in the 12th over, GT could not recover and lost the match by 63 runs. This is their worst defeat in terms of runs.
Dhoni yet to bat
Earlier, Rahane looked sluggish with the bat. He contributed with a run-a-ball 12. The 35-year-old was stumped off Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore’s bowling. Meanwhile, Dhoni has yet to face a single delivery in the season. Young Sameer Rizvi was sent ahead of the 42-year-old and he whacked Rashid Khan for a couple of sixes.
Captain lauds fielding
Happy with the team's second consecutive defeat at home, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad was impressed with the team’s fielding.
“I'm impressed with the fielding as well. Maybe one or two youngsters we have extra this year and great effort from Jinks, even in the last game he was running from one end to the other. Fielding is a big tick for us,” Gaikwad said in the post-match presentation.
CSK’s first away game
After two consecutive wins at home, CSK will now face Delhi Capitals at Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam on March 31.
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