CSK Dominated RCB to Win Their First Match of the TATA IPL 2024
CSK VS RCB 1st Match IPL 2024 Updates:
In a spectacular display of talent and teamwork, Mustafizur Rahman led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to a triumphant start in their IPL title defense against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
With the bat, Shivam Dube and Rachin Ravindra were instrumental in CSK’s six-wicket victory.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 173 for 6 (Rawat 48, Karthik 38*, du Plessis 35, Mustafizur 4-29) lost to Chennai Super Kings 176 for 4 (Ravindra 37, Dube 34*, Green 2-27) by six wickets.
Under a new captain, the Chennai Super Kings made a winning start to their IPL title defence in front of a boisterous Chepauk crowd on Friday night. Four CSK debutants, including Mustafizur Rahman, dismissed four of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s top five in ten balls, causing RCB to lose in Chennai for the eighth time in a row.
On a surface that slowed down later in the evening, Rachin Ravindra, who was playing in his debut IPL match, contributed to the victory as well with 37 off 15 balls at a strike rate of 246.66. Ruturaj Gaikwad opened his debut as CSK captain with a first-ball four, but RCB Impact Player Yash Dayal ended his innings on 15 as CSK attempted to chase 174.
Then, with their diverse styles, Cameron Green and Alzarri Joseph momentarily quieted the Chepauk audience. Green used slower cutters to bowl into the pitch, whereas Joseph used steep bounce and fast speeds to eliminate the pitch from the equation.
As he recovered from his injury, Shivam Dube took Mustafizur’s spot as an Impact Player for CSK, laboring to 7 off 13 balls. However, he quickly picked up the pace to help CSK win with an undefeated 34 off 28 balls, while Ravindra Jadeja added an undefeated 25 off 17. Though MS Dhoni may have anticipated for this when he gave Gaikwad the keys to the CSK kingdom, he was not able to participate in the chase.
Also Read: IPL Winners List From 2008 to 2024
Also Read: CSK Wins 2023 IPL Final to Crown Joint 5 Times Champions
RCB lost three wickets for five runs in the next two overs, after having reached 37 for no loss in the first four.
Then, in the twelfth over, Mustafizur came back and took out Green and Virat Kohli in three balls. Green was dismissed for 18 off 22 balls by a whippy cutter, while Kohli pulled a seam-up delivery to deep midwicket for 21 off 20 balls. It was the second double-wicket over for Mustafizur.
If CSK’s death-overs specialist Matheesha Pathirana had been healthy, Mustafizur might not have even been on the field. On a night when the other two seamers on his team, Chahar and Deshpande, went at well over nine an over, he ended up with figures of 4-0-29-4. Pathirana’s comeback will give CSK a happy headache in the selection process.
Due to a counterattacking 95-run partnership for the sixth wicket off just 50 balls, which came to an end off the final ball of the innings thanks to a Dhoni direct hit, RCB concluded at 173 for 6.
After RCB went 28 balls without a boundary at one point, Rawat struck two in six balls to put RCB in position for the final overs. The 18th over, which was worth 25 runs, saw him thrash Deshpande for 6,6, 4. Karthik, on the other hand, appeared rusty at first but combined strength and creativity to give RCB’s innings greater momentum.
Following CSK’s loss of Gaikwad during the powerplay, Ravindra set up pulls and pick-up shots for RCB’s quicks. He even hit Karn Sharma for six off a blow to midwicket, but the bowler holed out to deep square-leg when he tried for a second six.
In classic CSK fashion, Ajinkya Rahane (27 off 19 balls) and Daryl Mitchell (22 off 18) made brief appearances to push the chase to the next level. But CSK still needed 64 off 45 balls when Green got Mitchell. Joseph was able to run in hard and hit the deck even harder because of the two-bouncer rule. But Dube barely made it through the short-ball test, and he finished the chase with eight balls remaining and six wickets.
 Insights from Faf du Plessis
In the IPL 2024 opener, Faf du Plessis, the captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), attributed their loss to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to a faltering display in the powerplay. Despite a strong start with du Plessis smashing seven fours in the initial overs, RCB’s wickets fell quickly, leading to a challenging situation early in the innings.
Du Plessis mentioned in the official broadcast post-match that the team fell short by 15 to 20 runs on what he described as a pitch not as challenging as their initial performance indicated. He highlighted the importance of stabilizing the innings early on, especially against a formidable team like CSK known for their spin bowling prowess in the middle overs.
Anuj Rawat and Dinesh Karthik’s partnership salvaged RCB’s innings, but their total of 173 was deemed under par, as CSK chased it down comfortably with eight balls to spare. Despite RCB’s attempts to pull the game back with a few crucial wickets, CSK’s batsmen, particularly Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja, maintained control throughout the chase.
Du Plessis acknowledged that RCB was always slightly behind in trying to gain momentum, especially during the crucial middle overs where CSK capitalized on opportunities. The tactic of targeting Dube with short balls, allowed by the new IPL rule of two bouncers per over, was an attempt to exploit weaknesses but ultimately fell short of producing significant breakthroughs.
In conclusion, RCB’s opening-day defeat was attributed to a combination of early wickets, a slightly below-par total, and CSK’s composed batting performance. Reflecting on the game, du Plessis emphasized the need for better execution, especially in the powerplay and middle overs, to stay competitive in the tournament.
