Chennai Super Kings end Royal Challengers Bangalore's perfect start to IPL 2021 with a crushing 69-run win to go top of the table after Ravindra Jadeja smashed 62no from 28 balls, took 3-13 and added a run out with a direct hit in an incredible all-round display
Sunday 25 April 2021 20:58, UK
Ravindra Jadeja put in a stunning all-round performance to take Chennai Super Kings to a thumping 69-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in a top-of-the-table IPL clash.
Having been dropped on nought, the CSK all-rounder proceeded to blitz an unbeaten 62 from just 28 balls, including five sixes - four in a row - in a remarkable last over from Harshal Patel that cost 37 runs as Chennai posted 191-4.
That was just the start though as he took 3-13 with his left-arm spin, bowling two of RCB's most dangerous batsmen, Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers, either side of running out Dan Christian with a direct hit in one of the most dominant all-round T20 efforts in recent times.
RCB eventually limped to 122-9 as they suffered their first defeat of the campaign - after starting with four straight wins - to lose their spot at the top of the standings to Chennai on net run-rate.
Chennai got off to a good start after MS Dhoni had won the toss and elected to bat, with openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis adding 74 for the first wicket.
Yuzvendra Chahal broke the stand but Du Plessis remained and reached a 40-ball half-century and, alongside Suresh Raina, ensured the runs kept coming at a decent rate.
However, the innings threatened to peter out when Harshal removed the pair in successive deliveries in the 14th over.
It was perhaps the next over that proved most significant in the match as Jadeja, having failed to score from his first four balls, thumped Washington Sundar out to deep midwicket and was dropped by Christian.
Jadeja hit his next two balls to the fence and Ambati Rayudu hit an enormous six off Kyle Jamieson before the combination of an injury to Rayudu and some good death bowling from RCB saw the runs dry up.
That all changed in the last over of the innings though as Harshal, with 3-14 from his first three overs bowled to Jadeja.
The first two balls disappeared over deep midwicket, the third went the same way and was called a no-ball as well, allowing Jadeja to club the next over the legside for six more and bring up a 25-ball fifty.
He was dropped again the ball after, hammering the ball towards cover where the fielder was unable to hold on to a stinging catch above his head. Again the drop was punished as Jadeja launched the penultimate ball over long on for a maximum before ending the innings with a one-bounce four.
RCB seemed to have brushed off that brutal final over by the time they began their chase as Devdutt Padikkal, fresh from a maiden IPL hundred in his last match, came out firing and the Royal Challengers smashed 44 from the first three overs.
Virat Kohli (8) had largely been an observer to the youngster's elegant onslaught but tried to get in on the act at the start of the fourth over, only to edge behind. Sam Curran with the crucial wicket.
Padikkal (34 from 15) departed in the next but it was the introduction of Jadeja that really stopped RCB in their tracks.
He needed just two balls to get rid of Sundar, caught at deep midwicket, and followed it up by bowling Maxwell in his next over with a delivery that skidded on.
Even when he was not bowling, he was hurting RCB; Christian the next to go after being left short of his ground after Jadeja's perfect pick up and thrown in the covers.
Three balls later, De Villiers was gone. The South African superstar beaten all ends up by a superb dipping and turning delivery from Jadeja that clattered into middle stump.
RCB had crumbled from 65-2 to 83-6 in the space of four overs and it only got worse as Imran Tahir (2-16) bowled Harshal and then had Navdeep Saini caught at slip before adding a run out of his own to remove Jamieson.
While RCB managed to avoid the ignominy of being bowled out, CSK's victory was assured long before the last ball went down as Dhoni's men celebrated their fourth win of the campaign.
Watch game 21 of IPL 2021 between Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders from 2.50pm, Monday on Sky Sports Cricket.
