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Chennai Super Kings (CSK) beat the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 49 runs in yesterday’s (April 23) Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. With the emphatic win, Chennai moved to the top of the points table.
Sent into bat first, CSK put up an imposing 235/4 on the board as Ajinkya Rahane (71* off 29) and Shivam Dube (50 off 21) cracked whirlwind half-centuries. In the chase, KKR were held to 186/8 despite fifties from Jason Roy (61 off 26) and Rinku Singh (53* off 33).
Kolkata needed a solid start to stay in the hunt in a big chase. Instead, Akash Singh castled Sunil Narine (0) in the first over, while Narayan Jagadeesan perished to Tushar Deshpande for one. Venkatesh Iyer was trapped lbw for a run-a-ball 20 by Moeen Ali. In the same over, Roy clobbered the off-spinner for three consecutive sixes.
KKR skipper Nitish Rana (27), however, again failed to make a significant contribution. He holed out to deep midwicket off Ravindra Jadeja’s bowling. Roy kept Kolkata’s slim hopes alive. He took on Jadeja and Maheesh Theekshana and hammered them for some big hits.
The KKR batter raced to a 19-ball fifty. Theekshana had the last laugh, though, as he foxed Roy and cleaned him up. Even as wickets kept falling, Rinku held one end up and completed another defiant half-century, albeit in a losing cause.
The Rahane show at Eden Gardens
The CSK openers continued their good run, adding 73 in 7.3 overs. Ruturaj Gaikwad, though, again failed to convert his start. Suyash Sharma knocked him over for 35 off 20 balls. Devon Conway eased to his fourth consecutive 50-plus score. His fine knock ended on 56 off 40 when he was caught at long-off while trying to take on Varun Chakravarthy.
Dube came in and smacked the KKR leggie for consecutive sixes. Rahane then walloped the first two balls of the next over from Umesh Yadav, the 14th of the innings, for two more maximums as CSK hit four consecutive sixes. There was more punishment for Umesh as 22 came off the over.
Dube perished immediately after reaching his half-century, trying to go after Kulwant Khejroliya. But Rahane carried on till the end and did not lose his momentum. He struck Chakravarthy for two sixes and a four off consecutive deliveries in the penultimate over.
It was a pretty unlike-Rahane knock, which featured scoops, reverse flicks, and other unconventional options!
KKR vs CSK: Who Won Player of the Match in yesterday's IPL 2023 match?
Conway scored yet another fifty for CSK, while Dube played a blitzkrieg of a knock. Rahane was outstanding to say the least, clobbering six fours and five sixes. With the ball, Deshpande and Theekshana claimed two wickets apiece.
For KKR, there was not much joy with the ball. In the chase, half-centuries from Roy and Rinku gave them something to cheer about.
Rahane was named Player of the Match for his spectacular batting effort.
