It was a one-sided match at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi that saw Chennai Super Kings struggling in all departments against Rajasthan Royals. The Royals chased down a mere total of 126 runs quite easily for the loss of three wickets in 17.3 overs.
Here are the main talking points from the game:
CSK batting struggle
Batting first, Chennai Super Kings struggled throughout as only one of their eight batsmen could manage to score more than 30 runs. There was a massive top-order collapse as only Sam Curran (22) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (28) could manage to add few runs. Later Ravindra Jadeja contributed with an unbeaten 30-ball 35 to take CSK score to 125 runs. Chennai Super Kings lacked big scores from the top order batters and lost frequent wickets.
Moreover, they lost Sam Curran and Ambati Rayudu (13) in space of three runs in the 9th and 10th over. There was no sign of momentum from the beginning, thanks to their off-form which is why Chennai Super Kings failed to put a competitive score on board.
#Dream11IPL #CSKvsRR
It had to be a year like 2020, that marked CSK as absent in the top four! pic.twitter.com/JefruFhHp9— Cricket News (@cricketnews_com) October 19, 2020
Royals bowling efforts
A collective effort from the leg spin duo of Rajasthan Royals helped restrict Chennai Super Kings to just 125 runs. They delivered a couple of sensational bowling spells and conceded only 32 runs in their eight overs for two wickets. Jofra Archer started well and picked up the first wicket of CSK in the 3rd over of the innings as he dismissed Faf du Plessis for 10 runs.
The youngster, Kartik Tyagi in a while picked up Shane Watson for eight runs. Shreyas Gopal (4-0-14-10) and Rahul Tewatiya (4-0-18-1) took the next two wickets quickly and ensured the momentum was never gone from the Royals. Thanks to their continuous tight bowling that Dhoni-led side could be restricted for a low score.
124/5 is the third lowest 1st innings total by a team in the first innings in IPL when batting 20 overs while losing five or less wickets
The two lower than that came in 2011 and 2012 and both involved #CSK.
114/4- CSK vs KKR
114/5- DD vs CSK #CSKvsRR— Stat Doctor🩺 (@stat_doctor) October 19, 2020
The Jos Buttler show
Five overs into the innings and Rajasthan Royals were 28/3 with three top-order batters back to the pavilion. No matter how low the score was, the moment required a responsible batter and a dependable partnership. Steve Smith, the Royals captain found a fitting partner in Jos Buttler who almost singlehandedly won the match for his side. Smith remained their unbeaten till the end with 34-ball 26 and provided the much needed support but it was Buttler who took the Royals to the finishing line.
Out of the target of 126 runs, Buttler added 70 runs in just 48 balls. His unbeaten innings was decorated with seven fours and two maximums. The way CSK bowlers began to defend the total, without Buttler it would have been a difficult match for Rajasthan Royals.
Chahar’s lone fight
Defending a modest total of 126 was never going to be easy for the CSK bowlers. Moreover, they had a solid Jos Buttler against them in a destructive mode. Chennai Super Kings started on a good note as the bowlers picked up three major batsmen within the 5th over. Deepak Chahar once again proved to be an effective weapon in the Powerplay and gave the first breakthrough. He took the wicket of Ben Stokes (19) in the 3rd over and came back in the 5th over to scalp Sanju Samson for a duck.
Meanhwile, Josh Hazlewood who replaced injured Dwayne Bravo in the line-up today, sent Robin Uthappa back for just four runs. However, these early mishaps were followed by an impeccable partnership between Steve Smith and Jos Buttler which showed the way to the Royals.