IPL 2023: Conway-Dube show overpowers du Plessis-Maxwell as CSK outweighs RCB; fans overjoyed
IPL 2023: Chennai Super Kings overwhelmed Royal Challengers Bangalore by eight runs on Monday, thanks to Devon Conway and Shivam Dube, who were better than Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell, while the entertainment overjoyed fans.
FollowIt was total Twenty20 (T20) cricketing entertainment between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and former four-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Match 24 of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Monday. After the two sides engaged in a brutal batting show, the visitors prevailed by eight runs, thanks to Devon Conway and Shivam Dube, whose batting overshone Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell, leaving fans overjoyed.
Winning the toss, RCB invited CSK to bat, as the visitors lost opener Ruturaj Gaikwad (3) in the third over of the PowerPlay (PP) to pacer Mohammed Siraj. However, opener Conway (83) and Ajinkya Rahane (37) added 74 for the second wicket before the latter departed in the tenth to leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga.
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Nevertheless, Chennai hardly panicked and exploited the terrific batting track, with Conway and Dube (52) contributing to an 80-run partnership for the third wicket, setting the platform for a large total. While the former struck his fifth IPL half-century, he was knocked over by pacer Harshal Patel in the 16th.
Thereon, the incoming batters struggled to get a decent partnership going but did well enough to allow the Super Kings to post a gigantic total of 226/6, the highest of the event this term. While Dube had slammed his fourth IPL 50, he was the fourth wicket to fall in the 17th to pacer Wayne Parnell.
For the Royal Challengers, all six bowlers clasped one each, while Siraj was the most economical one. Before the hosts' chase, pacer Akash Singh came in as the Impact Player (IP) for Ambati Rayudu (14), while CSK brought in Suyash Prabhudessai as the IP for Siraj. Bangalore was off to an uneasy start, losing a couple, including opener Virat Kohli (6), by the second over of the PP.
However, opener-cum-skipper du Plessis (60*) and Maxwell (76) opened the floodgates for Chennai. The duo tailored a mega 126-run stand for the third wicket to magically bring RCB back into the chase, riding on the excellent batting quality of the Chinnaswamy pitch. While the former brought up his 28th IPL half-century, the latter struck his 15th.
In the 13th, the partnership was finally broken, with off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana getting rid of Maxwell, while at 159, du Plessis departed to off-spinner Moeen Ali in the 14th. At the same time, CSK skipper-cum-wicketkeeper MS Dhoni was involved in both occasions, as the two had sent the ball miles up in the air, making it twin challenging catches for the veteran to collect while the legend made it look easy.
Thereon, Shahbaz Ahmed (12) and Dinesh Karthik (28) added 32 for the fifth before the latter fell prey to medium-pacer Tushar Deshpande in the 17th. At the same time, it was still anybody's game, with the required-rate mounting for the Royal Challengers. However, with the top stars having departed, it became an improbable task for Bangalore, while Chennai got the job done by eight runs. For the Super Kings, Deshpande claimed three, whereas leg-spinner Ravindra Jadeja was economical as always.
