IPL 2022, CSK vs RCB Highlights: Chennai register 1st win, defeat Bangalore by 23 runs

First of all our 7-8 overs were good. Then 8-14 we tried to bring the spinners on and they played really well. Dube taking on the spinners, they took the momentum they carried from 8-14. That partnership speaks for itself. When you are chasing a big score you have to have a good start. One of the first four setting up the foundation, we didn't have that tonight. Good bowling from Chennai, they used their spinners well on a pitch that had some grip. We lost momentum with wickets, but we came back well. That shows the depth in our batting. Just shows you when you play a match like tonight. You see the value he (Harshal) offers not just to this team but any team. He has got the ability to really stop the game. We missed that tonight. Even towards the end we lacked the variety. Big miss for us, hopefully we will have him back soon again. Impressed by the way the guys coming in on a debut at 5 or 6 and playing like that just shows depth in our bowling. Even though we lost we were only 20 runs short on a total we should have been blown out of order and that is impressive.

Maheesh Theekshana in short: An off-spinner whose carrom balls turn more than the stock off-break. He has, in his oeuvre, a leg-break and googly too, or so goes the hype, but in his destruction of RCB, he primarily relied on just two variations. The stock off-break and the carrom ball. The off-break is delivered with the index finger and middle finger spread across wider than more conventional off-spinners. Hence, a lot of thumb, too, goes into the ball. As a result, he bargained both bounce and skid off the surface, even though he does not turn the ball lavishly. The extra bounce devoured Faf du Plessis into mistiming the ball to long-on. The skid accounted for Suyash Prabhudessai, who tried to slog him but ended up being hustled by the ball. To the left-handers, he employed more carrom balls—the thumb acting as a backrest, the forefinger as the axis and the middle-finger for flicking the ball in an anti-clockwise direction.  The arm-speed is slower than his off-break staple, the ball is more tossed up and it turns more. The sharp turn back stunned both Shahbaz Ahmed and Anuj Rawat, bowled and leg before, respectively. He could have nabbed Glenn Maxwell with a delicious carrom ball, but the edge fell safely. But Theekshana’s bowling is not so much about his variations, which good batsmen would eventually decode, as his unrelenting accuracy and discipline. 

- Sandip G

Bravo to bowl the final over. They need 34 runs from 5 balls. They need sixes!! This is as good as over. There is no way Bangalore can climb this mountain. They need to think about the NRR though. The fourth ball goes for a 4. Another four and all over. CSK register their first points of the season. They win by 23 runs.

First win ku #WhistlePodu ??#CSKvRCB #Yellove ? pic.twitter.com/VJtaA92h22

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 12, 2022

Chennai can smell victory now. Surely there's no way for Bangalore now. Jordan in to bowl the 19th over. Will this be the over to end CSK's losing streak? Nope Siraj slashes for a four in the last ball of the over. RCB 181/9 after 19 overs.

17th over now and Bravo has been brought back into the attack. A wide to start and another to follow. These extras might come back to haunt CSK. Karthik does not take a run off the first ball. He is looking to deal in boundaries. And what a catch!!!!! That's gone high!!! and Jadeja stands there, inches away from the boundary rope and takes a catch. RCB lose Karthik. RCB 171/9 after 17.2 overs.

The Jadeja catch celebration ??#TATAIPL #CSKvRCB pic.twitter.com/u3zvE59I3k

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 12, 2022

Mukesh Choudhary is not having a good night tonight. He gets hit for back to back sixes by Dinesh Karthik. Game on!!! That's another four to boot. Karthik is absolutely on fire. CSK can't believe it. 23 off this over. RCB 169/8 after 17 overs.

Nah, you won't be exaggerating at all if you refer to Dinesh Karthik's batting as sensual. #CSKvsRCB pic.twitter.com/6VxauDz7bM

— Rahul Pandey (@sportstoryguy) April 12, 2022

There was a brief confusion over a no-ball call for three fielders behind square on the leg side as MS Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu, and Ravindra Jadeja charged across to the umpires, the two Nitins, Menon and Pandit. It was Pandit, who was the square-leg umpire, who signalled the no ball. The CSK triumvirate seemed irate as they marched up to him. The umpire calmly pointed out that there were three men behind the line- the rule marks that arc from the batting crease and not from the stumps. The man at deep square-leg wasn’t behind the stumps but behind the crease lines alright. The light dawned on Dhoni and co. and the former India captain put up his hand in acceptance as he walked away.

-Sriram Veera

"I don’t have to practice that celebration. It’s pretty simple stuff. Comes out naturally,” Dwayne Bravo had told this newspaper a few days back about his wicket-celebration where he gestures ‘one’ with his index finger and sways from side to side. It’s for his new single ‘One’. “My music is happy music,” he had said. Nothing happy about his reaction when Mukesh Chaudhary dropped a sitter at deep midwicket to reprieve Suyash Prabhudessai. Bravo’s index finger was up and he had begun to sway it in anticipation but Chaudhary clanged the catch. Anguish settled in on his face, he winced and turned and looked towards his captain MS Dhoni, who turned his head away from his friend and looked at the off side. On air, Ian Bishop remarked that Chaudhary’s technique of catching was “crocodile hands” as his hands were cupped awkwardly and snapped at the ball. Meanwhile, when the replays came on, on Tamil commentary, the former India opener, cracked up, “Tirunelveli halwa mature catch utterey!” 

The catch was like the famous halwa from Tirunelveli, the wheat halwa that drips off ghee, and slips through hands. It’s also called as ‘Irutu kadai halwa’ (dark shop halwa, a 1900 establishment in Tirunelveli that used to sell it’s delectable product only in twilight). And on a floodlit night, Chaudhary let the halwa slip.

A few overs later, Chaudhary would drop another halwa this time a skier from Dinesh Kartik. Ambati Rayudu would run across to console him, but the poor man looked really upset. Someone give him some tirunelveli halwa please.
- Sriram Veera

ANOTHER DOWN!! What a stunning catch by Rayudu. It spun, it got the leading edge and that's gone!!!! Akash Deep is gone first ball. RCB 146/8 after 16 overs.

Best catch of the season till now by @RayuduAmbati sir #CSKvsRCB #TATAIPL2022 pic.twitter.com/fN9VbKuOR9

— Swakshat Mishra (@MSwakshat) April 12, 2022

Karthik is on another gear altogether this season. just after that Shabaz's wicket he hit Theekshana for a huge six!!! 16th over now. Jadeja in to bowl and gets hit for a 6 by Hasaranga and what do you know??? Jadeja takes revenge and dismisses him in the very next ball. He has holed out to Jordan. RCB 146/7 after 15.2 overs.

Theekshana in to bowl the 15th over and has he done it? Nooooooooooo. Mukesh drops it again. You have to feel for him. Karthik survives. No respite for Shabaz though. He is bowled in the next ball. What a delivery by Theekshana!!! RCB 133/6 after 14.3 overs.

Carrom ball through the gate and its four fer for Theekshana.#IPL2022 #CSKvsRCB pic.twitter.com/zf5riuhRTz

— Ashmin Aryal (@AryalAshmin) April 12, 2022

14th over begins now and RCB has Karthik and Hasaranga in the middle. Both of them can hit. Bravo to bowl. And a mishit to start. Outside edge, could have been a catch but goes for a four!!! And a no ball. Great chance for Bangalore to get some runs from the extra ball. 2 runs off the free hit. 15 from this over. RCB 131/5 after 14 overs.

No ball as Rayudu outside the ring on the onside#CSKvRCB #RCBvCSK pic.twitter.com/4JEBgrxsAF

— Pushkar Pushp (@ppushp7) April 12, 2022

BOWLED!!! Theekshana takes another wicket!!! Chennai needed that. Prabhudessai goes for a big sweep. Misses it and is cleaned up. RCB 110/5 after 12.2 overs.

Theekshana cleaned up Suyash for 34. Third wicket for him. #IPL2022 #CSKvsRCB pic.twitter.com/repgVtO0Bq

— Ashmin Aryal (@AryalAshmin) April 12, 2022

Prabhudessai tries to hit one and did not get the required elevation. Will it be out?? Nooooooooo. Mukesh has dropped him as Bravo can do nothing but smile. RCB need 107 runs in 48 balls.

This is fearless batting from Suyash Prabhudessai. First, a switch hit for a boundary and then a slog sweep for a maximum! RCB need 117 runs in 54 balls.

Suyash Prabhudessai welcomes Chris Jordan with a boundary on the first ball. Two balls later, he plays a scoop shot down the fine leg boundary. 13 runs came from Chirs Jordan's over. RCB need 131 runs in 60 balls.

Brilliant inside out shot from Suyash Prabhudessai. He has already hit two boundaries. The asking rate is climbing up, it is touching 13 runs per over. 

Ravindra Jadeja cleans up Glenn Maxwell. RCB are four wickets down after seven overs with just 50 runs on the board. Glenn Maxwell b Ravindra Jadeja 26

Maheesh Theekshana traps Anuj Rawat for 12.  Anuj Rawat attempts a pull shot on the back foot, the ball hits the thigh. LBW appeal from CSK and the umpire gives out! Rawat reviews it but turns out to be a bizarre review.

Anuj Rawat lbw Maheesh Theekshana (Royal Challengers Bangalore 42/3)

Glenn Maxwell has shown his intent with back-to-back sixes of Maheesh Theekshana's bowling. 

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Once Shivam Dube and Robin Uthappa began to shred him apart, Akash Deep turned into a mess of nerves. It was one of those mind-going-blank moments, when nothing would have registered in his mind. After Dube slaughtered eighteen runs off his first four balls, he just froze. The fifth ball was so wide that it almost went to leg-slip had a fielder been stationed there. The re-ball was equally tripe, but Dube somehow couldn’t impart a decent connection to the leg-side short ball. Enter Uthappa. The next ball landed outside the pitch—worse than that Steve Harmison first ball at Gabba. The next was marginally better—it almost hugged the tramline. The hat-trick wide ball was an improvement but still an easy wide. An army of advisors swarmed him and offered counsel, he just kept nodding his head. And it seemed to benefit him—this one was a legal ball, though a full toss. A wave of relief flickered across his face. An ordeal was finally over.

- Sandip G

Mukesh Choudhary has picked up the big wicket of Virat Kohli, who departs for just 1 run. It was on the leg stump, Virat Kohli mistimes the pull and it goes straight to Shivam Dube at the deep square leg.

Virat Kohli c Shivam Dube b Mukesh Choudhary (Royal Challengers Bangalore 20/2)

Short of a good length ball, pitching outside off,  and Anuj Rawat plays an aggressive pull shot on the back foot for 4 runs. Six runs came from Moeen Ali's second over. RCB need 197 runs to win the match in 16 overs. 

Maheesh Theekshana strikes for Chennai Super Kings. RCB skipper Faf du Plessis departs for 8. 

Ten came from Mukesh Choudhary's first over. No boundaries but Anuj Rawat and Faf du Plessis ran three 3s. RCB need 206 runs from 18 overs. 

Good first over from Moeen Ali. Only one came from that over. RCB need 216 runs to win in 19 overs. 

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“The chewing gum”, to Viv Richards, “was a like a little brother.” The insouciant West Indies great was seldom spotted without his jaws giving the gum an almighty workout, so much so that he once said “that I am disappointed that no one approached me for advertising. I did the chewing gum a world of good.” He even refused to wear a mouthpiece as it interfered with his favourite habit. Robin Uthappa is no Richards, but exudes a chewing-gummed menace, especially when he combats off-spinners. A brand of bowling that Richards too relished. Poor Glenn Maxwell, playing his first IPL game, and looking outrageously rusty. So Uthappa just tore into him. A horrific short ball was smacked into eternity, a follow-up full-ball was thwacked into the deep midwicket stands, before replicating the same two balls later. And every time he struck a six, he would take a little walk down to the middle, thud the pitch a couple of times, and gives that gum an almighty thump.  

- Sandip G

What a remarkable comeback for the Chennai Super Kings after a slow start. The 165-run stand for the third wicket between  Robin Uthappa (88) and Shivam Dube (96*) helped CSK to put on a massive 215 for 4 in 20 overs. It is also the highest partnership of the tournament. It is also the highest first-innings total of the season. 

Innings Break!

A sensational 165-run partnership between Uthappa (88) and Dube (95*) guides #CSK to a total of 216/4 on the board.#RCB chase coming up shortly. Stay tuned!#TATAIPL pic.twitter.com/uOr7P60zVa

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 12, 2022

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Some comedy and some nostalgia came off successive balls from Uthappa. The first ball from Mohammad Siraj was back of length down the leg side and Uthappa went for his pick-up swat over backward square-leg. Instead, the ball flew off the extremely fat edge and over third man for a six! A six over third man to a ball down leg side. Even as one recovered from the comic relief, Uthappa rolled back the years next ball. Just as he would do more than a decade back, mimicking his hero Sachin Tendulkar, he charged down the track and crash-landed Siraj over the sight screen. Boom! One of the sweetest timers going around, at times Uthappa has been guilty of playing the check-drives and getting caught at the boundary. Not this innings, though. He went through with each and every big shot of his, the bat completing the full swing in the follow-through and no wonder the white ball kept disappearing.

~ Sriram Veera

Another wicket for Hasaranga. Jadeja goes for a duck.  

Robin Uthappa departs for 88. Hasaranga with the wicket. 

200 up for CSK in their 200th IPL match, courtesy a monstrous six from Shivam Dube

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His social media posts are about setting suns, palm trees, Sunday football, yoga on beach and bright traditional Konkani dressing. Not surprising for a 24 year old from Goa. The last cricketer from the football-crazy state to make an IPL impact was the highly entertaining RR opener Swapnil Asnodkar. Now, keep an eye on another delightful cricketer from the land of feni drinkers. RCB's Suyash S Prabhudessai is a classic bits and pieces cricketer. He can bowl, bat and when not doing either, fly around the field and stop impossible balls. Within half an hour of taking the field, he did a Yuvraj Singh at point. Moeen Ali steered the ball to square on the off-side and ran with the confidence of a batsman sure about the strength of his stroke and placement. Not today, he didn't bargain for a cheetah on the square. Prabhudessai lunged, dived, grabbed the ball and, most importantly, got and threw at the stumps. Dinesh Karthik broke the stumps in one swift movement, his effort made easy by the precision of the stump-high throw. The boy from Goa - whose electric strides around the ground shouting out the fact that he isn't a one-sport player - spread his hands wide as if to flaunt his wing span and tell the batsmen around the world they better be sure about taking a run when he was around. Later in the evening, he stopped a certain four and took an impossible running-in from the fence catch. Prabhudessai on the field is a sight.

~ Sandeep Dwivedi

It's raining sixes here. This time Hasaranga is in the firing line and Uthappa welcomes him with a six straight over the bowlers head. 

Full toss outside the off stump and Shivam Dube hits another six. Dube is wreaking havoc, Akashdeep has already conceded 50 runs.    

Round the wicket to Shivam Dube and he just hits it straight down the ground for another maximum. The bat swing of Shivam Dube in this match has been excellent. He followed it with a deft shot down the third man. Akashdeep is looking clueless.  

Could you believe it? Suyash Prabhudessai took a brilliant running catch at the square leg fence but Siraj has overstepped. It was a big no ball. 

Robin Uthappa has struck two sixes Siraj's over. The first one was a top edge, which went over the third man. The second six was another Uthappa walking down the track and hammering it straight over bowlers head for another six. 

Another SIx for Robin Uthappa. It also brings up the 100-run stand between Robin Uthappa and Shivam Dube.  

?-run partnership comes up between @robbieuthappa & @IamShivamDube ??

Oh boy, this is some hitting by this duo.

Live - https://t.co/KYzdkMrSTA #CSKvRCB #TATAIPL pic.twitter.com/rW5xFlJtl3

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 12, 2022

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So far this season Ruturaj Gaikwad, the highest run-getter last term, has endured a horror time. Five outings have yielded him 35 runs in five. But the 17 runs he scored against RCB—nearly matching the tally in the four previous outings—was the best he had looked this edition. There were flashes of the sparkling timing that had wowed the connoisseurs and that has been elusive since. The pull shot against Mohammed Siraj was regal. The ball was just marginally short, and it seemed like he was late to react. But when the ball reared up, he just swivelled and pulled the ball, fully air-borne and not making any attempt to roll the wrists over it so that he could keep the ball down. Followed a crisp cut through cover-point off Josh Hazlewood when he erred on the shorter side. But an uncharacteristically hideous hack off Hazlewood ball—more short of length than short—nipped a blossoming knock. He missed the ball completely and was adjudged lbw. He was distraught when he walked back, self-admonishing and grimacing. The failures have begun to weigh on him.

- Sandip G

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Such is Shivam Dube’s long-handle free swing that even balls that seemingly hit the bottom of the bat can fly. As Wanindu Hasaranga and Shabahz Ahmed found out. It’s the pace, and especially the short ball, that seems to bother him. The other night Kris Srikkanth quipped on air in Tamil commentary, “Dube ku bouncer potta konjama Jagaa vanguvaan!' (Jagaa is a Chennai slang for moving away!). He has gotten out a few times to the bouncer and Cheeka’s tongue-in-cheek comment isn’t too far off the mark. Tonight though, with CSK needing a run acceleration and with spinners on tandem, he decided to free his arms. He was promoted ahead of Ambati Rayudu who had made No.4 his own for years now but since he hasn't been in that great a touch, CSK decided to promote Dube. Even though he was making contact with only the toe-end of the bat, the ball still kept soaring away.

~ Sriram Veera

Shivam Dube has continued his rich vein of form. He has completed his second half-century of the season, third overall. 15 runs came from Akashdeep's over. 

FIFTY for @IamShivamDube as well ??

Live - https://t.co/KYzdkMrSTA #CSKvRCB #TATAIPL pic.twitter.com/MO9c6zTNo2

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 12, 2022

Robin Uthappa plays an aggressive pull shot on the front foot for 6 runs, He is looking in ominous touch. 

Half-century for Robin Uthappa, 27th in the IPL, second this season.

Robin is on a roll here!

Brings up a fine half-century. His 27th in #TATAIPL.

Live - https://t.co/KYzdkMrSTA #CSKvRCB #TATAIPL pic.twitter.com/uRxVxVeQyg

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 12, 2022

Unlucky for Wanindu Hasaranga. First, a tough chance was put down by Siraj at the deep square leg and the four byes, which misses everyone. Another expensive over, 12 came from it.  

Excellent effort from Glen Maxwell but he can't save the boundary. Dube has decided to take on Hasaranga. 

Robin Uthappa hits three sixes off Glenn Maxwell's over. CSK are flying now. The 19-run over also brings up the 100 for the  Chennai Super Kings in 13 overs. 

That's a monstrous shot from Shivam Dube. He hits it with the turn for his third maximum of the evening. It was a 91-metre six or Sube. The fifty run stand also came up between Uthappa and Dube for the third wicket. 

After the loss of two early wickets, Robin Uthappa and Shivam Dube steady ship for #CSK with a 50-run partnership.

Live - https://t.co/KYzdkMrSTA #CSKvRCB #TATAIPL pic.twitter.com/65yULVJoIs

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 12, 2022

There's no stopping Dube here. Hasaranga bowls a tad short and Dube muscles it down the mid-wicket boundary. 13 came from Hasranga's first over. 

Great strike from Shivam Dube. Clean swing of the bat again; it was in his arc, and it is out if the park. Wanindu Hasaranga won't be pitching it up to Dube after the 90-metre long six. 

In the arc and Dube puts it out of the park. A 94-metre strike from Shivam Dube. Maxwell is getting the taste of his own medicine. 

Wayward from Akash Deep and Dube accepted the gift and helped it away to the fine leg boundary. Nine runs came from Akash's second over. 

Cheeky from Robin Uthappa. He made full use of the pace and guided it past the short third man. 

A sensational piece of fielding by the debutant Suyash Prabhudessai. He has already made a mark in the match with a brilliant pick up throw. A stupendous bit of effort from the youngster. Moeen is halfway down the crease at this time and is run out. Moeen Ali goes for 3.

Moeen Ali run out Suyash S Prabhudessai (Chennai Super Kings 36/2)

Vintage Robin Uthappa. He hit it straight over the bowler's head for the maximum of the CSK's innings. At the end of the powerplay, CSK are 35 for 1. 

Width offered, and Uthappa pounced on it. Caresses it through cover-point for his first boundary. It was an excellent over till then. Six runs came from Siraj's third over. 

Hazlewood has got his man. Ruturaj Gaikwad misses the pull, the ball hits on the thigh pad. A loud LBW appeal from the fielding side, and the umpire signals out. Ruturaj immediately challenges the decision, but the wickets are the umpire's call. Ruturaj Gaikwad departs for 17. First wicket for Hazlewood in the RCB colours. 

Imperious from Gaikwad. Short of a good length from Hazlewood and Gaikwad squeezes it past gully for another boundary. He is looking in good touch today. This is already his highest score this season. He is batting on 17. Will he be able to convert this start? 

Cracking shot by Gaikwad. Siraj tried to dig it in, and Gaikwad pulled it down to the mid-wicket fence for his second boundary. It must have given him the much-needed confidence.