NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) emerged victorious against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by six wickets in a thrilling
IPL 2024
opener at the Chepauk Stadium.
RCB captain Faf du Plessis admitted that his team fell short by about 15-20 runs and highlighted the pitch's less challenging nature compared to their initial batting struggles.
"Maybe we were about 15-20 runs short, the pitch was not as bad as we played in the first 10 overs," remarked Faf during the post-match presentation.
RCB's innings witnessed a tumultuous start as they stumbled to 78/5 despite a promising beginning spearheaded by Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli.
However, a resilient effort from Anuj Rawat, who scored 48 off 25 balls, and
Dinesh Karthik
, who remained unbeaten on 38 off 26 balls, propelled RCB to a respectable total of 173/6 in their allotted 20 overs.
Reflecting on CSK's bowling prowess, Faf acknowledged
Mustafizur Rahman
's impactful spell, stating, "Mustafizur was the pick of the bowlers for CSK."
In pursuit of 174, CSK's
Rachin Ravindra
provided a blistering start with 37 off just 15 balls, laying a solid foundation for the chase. Despite RCB's efforts to snatch wickets, Shivam Dube's unbeaten 34 off 28 balls and Ravindra Jadeja's 25* off 17 balls steered CSK to victory with eight balls to spare.
"Really good for Dinesh to set up his season, especially for someone who has not played a lot of cricket," Faf praised Dinesh Karthik's performance during the chase.
CSK's comprehensive victory marked a successful beginning under the leadership of Ruturaj Gaikwad, solidifying their position as contenders in the IPL.
Mustafizur Rahman's stellar performance earned him the coveted 'Player of the Match' award, capping off a memorable start to the tournament for CSK.
(With inputs from ANI)
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