The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) boast one of the most passionate fanbases in cricket. A big reason for this devotion is their legendary captain, MS Dhoni. Wherever Dhoni goes, a sea of yellow jerseys follows, a testament to his immense popularity. Local hero Varun Chakravarthy, who plays for the Kolkata Knight Riders, found himself in this unusual situation during an away game against CSK at the Chepauk stadium. Varun Chakravarthy's family was there at the stands, not to support him rather the opponent CSK.
Varun Chakravarthy let down by lack of support from family
The match at the MA Chidambaram stadium was a homecoming for Varun Chakravarthy. The mystery spinner, who represents Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket, is quite familiar with the Chepauk surface. One might even expect that his insights proved valuable for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) leading up to the match. Unfortunately, their strategy didn't translate to success. Despite Chakravarthy's familiarity with the pitch, KKR suffered their first loss of the 2024 season, going down by seven wickets. However, they remain in a strong position, holding onto the second spot in the points table alongside CSK and Lucknow Super Giants, all tied with the same number of points.
CSK bowlers dominate KKR batters
The match began with CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad winning the toss and electing to field first. The pitch appeared to favor the bowlers, a decision that ultimately proved wise for CSK.
KKR started off on the wrong foot when CSK's all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja took out opening batsman Phil Salt with the very first delivery. Following that, Sunil Narine, who had formed a 56-run stand with Angkrish Raghuvanshi, was dismissed for 27 off 20 balls. After that, while the subsequent batters managed to score, none could maintain their grip on the crease. Ideally, one of the batsmen needed to anchor the innings, but the CSK bowlers proved too challenging.
Chakravarthy was the only KKR player left who didn't bat. He had hoped his family would come to Chepauk to cheer for him and his team. Yet, after CSK secured the win and moved up to fourth in the standings, Chakravarthy shared in a post-match talk that his family showed up wearing CSK's Yellow jerseys. Chakravarthy mentioned this with a light-hearted tone and a smirk, acknowledging the overwhelming fan support for MS Dhoni and CSK.
“My entire family came to watch the game at Chepauk but all of them are in yellove,” Chakravarthy told broadcasters.
Varun Chakravarthy stands out despite KKR's defeat
Chakravarthy shone with the ball despite KKR's loss last night. As a leg-spinner, he maintained the lowest economy rate against CSK's formidable batting, which reached the 138-run target by the 17th over. The 32-year-old gave up just 26 runs with an impressive economy of 6.50, although he didn't manage to take any wickets, which was the only downside to his performance last night.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
'I am glad this happened': Why did Shreyas Iyer say this despite KKR's seven-wicket loss to CSK?
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Mustafizur Rahman left stunned as MS Dhoni drops a regulation catch; watch video
