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T20 batting has evolved to a whole new level. A strike rate in the 120s is no longer acceptable. In fact, it is considered harmful for a team if a top-order batter bats more than 20 balls with that kind of strike rate. Pitches are generally in favour of the batters in this format and therefore, one can’t even blame this thought process. Times have changed. Five years ago, there would not have been any discussion on Ajinkya Rahane’s knock against the Sunrisers Hyderabad but in IPL 2024, it’s different.
Rahane was heavily trolled and criticised for his 30-ball 35-run knock at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad. Was the pitch difficult to bat on? No. Well, it was not as placid as the one offering more than 500 runs a few nights ago between SRH and MI but it was pretty wicket overall.
However, none of CSK’s top three batters managed to score freely. Credit must go to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan and Pat Cummins. Rachin Ravindra was out 12 off 9 balls. CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad managed 26 off 21 balls. But Rahane’s was a strange innings. He played a couple of sublime strokes but in between, he couldn’t muster anything.
His laborious stay in the middle was finally ended in the 15th over when his cut shot off Jaydev Unadakat went straight to the point fielder.
In-form Shivam Dube top-scored with a 24-ball 45 as CSK posted 165/5. Rahane and Dube’s 65-run partnership for the third wicket from just 6.3 overs was the only highlight of the CSK innings. CSK added only 37 runs in the last five overs and that could be the turning point in the match. But credit must be given to CSK’s all-season man Ravindra Jadeja, whose unbeaten 31 off 23 balls was the added fillip that the defending champions needed at the end.
Coming out at the fag end of the innings, former captain MS Dhoni remained not out on one from two balls.
For SRH, it was a collective bowling effort with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Pat Cummins, T Natarajan Shahbaz Ahmed and Jaydev Unadkat taking a wicket apiece.
CSK made a decent start, reaching 25 for no loss in three overs before veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave SRH the breakthrough with his first wicket of the season in the form of Rachin Ravindra who sliced it straight to Markram in the first ball of the fourth over.
One down Rahane then hit SRH captain Cummins for a six in the fifth over. CSK took 15 runs from the sixth over bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar with Rahane and his captain Ruturaj Gaikwad hitting a four and a six respectively.
CSK were well-placed at 48 for 1 at the end of the powerplay but the introduction of spin in the form of Shahbaz Ahmed did the trick as Gaikwad was out for 26 off 21 balls, with Abdul Samad taking a simple catch at long-on. Rahane did score useful runs but never really looked fluent in his strokeplay as Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat and T Natarajan took pace off their deliveries to stem the flow of runs.
Dube was the primary scorer during their 65-run partnership for the third wicket from just 6.3 overs. Dube, who has already scored a fifty this season, was more aggressive than his senior partner, hitting two fours and four towering sixes during his 24-ball innings. He is indeed making a good case for himself as a finisher in the Indian squad for T20 World Cup in the Americas.
He was finally deceived by a pace-off delivery from Pat Cummins’ ball outside off and gave an easy catch to Kumar at backward point in the 14th over.
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