On April 17th at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the Super Kings of Chennai (CSK) and the Royal Challengers of Bangalore were pitted against one another. The stands were filled to capacity, yet the players could still hear their own hearts beating in their chests. The crowd went wild as MS Dhoni stepped up on the crease and smacked the ball toward long-on for a single. But that cheer was nothing compared to the roar in response to Virat Kohli’s muscular leg-side boundary off the first over – only to be followed by a stunned silence as the ball trickled back and knocked over the off bail. But soon enough, the applause returned as Glenn Maxwell and Faf du Plessis put on a performance that shook the entire stadium. Every ball sent down was threatening to cause an eruption, with even the shortest-pitched balls leaving those in the stands at Cubbon Park and MG Road on alert.
This is what attending a CSK-RCB match feels like. It’s not surprising that some view the CSK lineup as either outdated or past its prime. In the end, it’s CSK who is victorious, and these doubts seem baseless and foolish. However, there is a strategy to the madness. This is something the CSK have perfected and will go down with legacy if it comes to that.
CSK win against RCB, with some lesser-known players shining brightly
The pressure was on the visitors when Ruturaj Gaikwad fell early in the innings. Ajinkya Rahane, who hadn’t played an international game for almost a year, was then sent out to bat. There had been doubts about why he was picked up at the auction, let alone starting in the 11. But after his powerful 50 against the Mumbai Indians, Rahane has proven he belongs here. He didn’t quite make it to fifty against RCB, but his aggressive attempts in the powerplay gave Devon Conway the freedom to settle down at the other end.
When it comes to Conway, he isn’t typically seen as a T20 opener. His style of playing is not one of the big hits or fancy scoops but rather one of smart batting, which is sometimes all needed to keep up with the speed of today’s IPL games. This is where Shivam Dube comes in – Dhoni himself has noted his weakness against pacers, yet he was still positioned at No. 4 for CSK. Clearly, if you haven’t been impressed so far, you must’ve been watching them wrong from the start.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s words ring true when considering why he bats so high: he takes advantage of his physical reach to attack spinners. In a sport that likely overlooks body mechanics, the CSK team has found a way to use it to its advantage. And when Shivam Dube hits towering blows in Chinnaswamy Stadium, we see the brilliance of this approach.
Now comes their bowling:
Tushar Deshpande has been associated with CSK for a couple of years. He has been specially chosen by the team as a death bowler to fill the shoes of the great Dwayne Bravo. Maheesh Theekshana is known as a mystery spinner and is an asset to any team. In the auction of 2022, not many teams were interested in him; however, CSK immediately saw his potential. Despite dropping two catches, Theekshana delivered an exceptional performance and dismissed Maxwell.
Similarly, despite the risk of signing an inexperienced bowler like Matheesha Pathirana, CSK decided to take a chance on him. On Monday, Pathirana proved why that decision was right, delivering two incredible overs at the death that even Lasith Malinga was impressed by. The performance was enough for Malinga to praise Pathirana on Twitter and admire the young bowler’s unorthodox style and enviable skill.
The Chinnaswamy stadium was known to be a graveyard for spin bowlers, with all the dew in the area. However, despite this, Ravindra Jadeja delivered four exceptional overs, conceding less than 10 runs each, and Moeen Ali managed to send Faf du Plessis back to the pavilion. MS Dhoni, in this game against Royal Challengers Bangalore, also showed a unique but true sporting principle- despite having fewer resources and momentum, allowing the opponent to lose the match can be just as vital as trying to win it yourself.
For many years, CSK has done what they do best – getting the job done without relying on flashy players or generating social media buzz. That is the essence of the IPL, which CSK continues to embody every time Dhoni steps onto the field.