The Chennai Super Kings beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 23 runs in the IPL 2022, with  a stunning 165-run stand between Robin Uthappa and Shivam Dube. It was Chennai’s first victory in the IPL this season.

The game-changing play

“Not being near to winning any games, you have a bit of self-doubt, and the players get a little bit niggly,” CSK coach Stephen Fleming remarked in a news conference after the team’s loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad. CSK, in essence, required a spark of inspiration from one or two participants. With a game-breaking stand, Uthappa and Dube were tasked with giving the spark. With the side in trouble at 36 for 2 in the seventh over, the duo joined hands.

Dube and Uthappa chose to return the assault to the opposition with a couple of boundaries off Akash Deep at that point. CSK might have required a tonic like this to get out of the marshy waters. Uthappa then went into overdrive in the 13th over, hitting three sixes off Glenn Maxwell. The way he whacked Maxwell from round the wicket over deep midwicket was the highlight of that over. The momentum had switched when CSK scored 58 runs in four overs.

Uthappa then hit a boundary off Akash to bring up his fifty. Dube also brought up his fifty in the same over by slicing one over point. Uthappa showed his flair in the slog overs when he skipped down the track and smacked Mohammed Siraj into the downtown regions, and Dube followed suit by exploring all corners of the pitch while facing Akash and clubbing two sixes and a boundary. Akash’s series of wides didn’t assist his cause. Uthappa and Dube eventually fell 12 and 5 runs short of their respective tonnes, but the damage had already been done, as CSK concluded with a mammoth total of 216 in 20 overs.

How did RCB go about pursuing the target?

At 42 for 3, RCB appeared to be in serious trouble by the end of the Powerplay. Virat Kohli picked out the fielder in the deep on the on-side off Mukesh Chouhdary, while Faf du Plessis mishit one off Maheesh Theekshana to long-on. In the sixth over, Glenn Maxwell tried to put the pressure back on Theekshana and CSK by hitting back-to-back sixes, one of which was flat-batted over long-off. The spinner, on the other hand, continued to impress by removing Anuj Rawat with a carrom ball in the same over. RCB were on the decline by the time Maxwell was castled by Ravi Jadeja’s arm ball.

The bright side for RCB

Suyash Prabhudessai’s adventurous 18-ball 34 was the only bright spot for RCB. He slog-swept Moeen Ali before slamming one through Chris Jordan’s additional cover. He also displayed some creativity by scooping Jordan for a boundary. He then nailed Jadeja’s sweep and slog-sweep. He was eventually cleaned up by Theekshana’s perseverance. Shahbaz Ahmed scored 41 runs, and in-form Dinesh Karthik took over with a 14-ball 34, but he had too much to do as RCB posted a total of 193/9. CSK did miss a handful of receptions, but it didn’t cost them the game. Meanwhile, Theekshana concluded with a 4/33 performance.

Score Summary

Chennai Super Kings (Shiva Dube 95, Dinesh Karthik 88; Wanindu Hasaranga 2-35) defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore (Shahbaz Ahmed 41; Maheesh Theekshana 4-34) by 23 runs in 20 overs (Shiva Dube 95, Dinesh Karthik 88; Wanindu Hasaranga 2-35).