Chennai Super Kings (CSK) came up with a clinical performance to beat Gujarat Titans (GT) by 63 runs in match number seven of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday, March 26. Invited to bat first by Gujarat, Chennai ran up an impressive total of 206/6 as Shivam Dube top-scored with 51 off 23, while Rachin Ravindra hit 46 off 20 and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad contributed 46 off 36 balls. Chasing the big total, GT only managed to score 143/8 as Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande and Mustafizur Rahman claimed two wickets each.

CSK got off an impressive start with the bat as Gaikwad and Ravindra added 62 for the first wicket. The partnership was broken when Ravindra was stumped off Rashid Khan’s bowling. The Kiwi left-hander walked back having slammed six fours and three sixes. Ajinkya Rahane fell cheaply for 12, but Gaikwad and Dube consolidated the innings before the former was caught behind off Spencer Johnson.

Dube played a punishing knock as he slammed two fours and as many as five sixes, needing only 22 balls to reach a half-century. He was dismissed after crossing the landmark as he mistimed a googly off Rashid. Sameer Rizvi (14 off 6), however, came in and slammed two sixes off the leggie to push CSK’s total towards 200. All-rounder Daryl Mitchell also chipped in with 24 not out off 20.

Gujarat Titans never got going in the huge chase. Chahar trapped GT skipper Shubman Gill lbw for 8 in the third over. The CSK pacer also sent back Wriddhiman Saha (21 off 17), who swiped the pull to deep square leg. Vijay Shankar (12) perished to an age-defying catch by MS Dhoni off Mitchell’s bowling.

Chennai Super Kings were brilliant in the field on the day. Ajinkya Rahane claimed a diving catch, running in to dismiss David Miller (21) off Tushar Deshpande's bowling. Sai Sudharsan (37) top-scored for Gujarat Titans before slicing a catch to long on off Matheesha Pathirana’s bowling. Mustafizur Rahman helped himself to a couple of easy wickets at the end as the result of the match became a foregone conclusion.

“Definitely today's game was perfect - batting, bowling and fielding, and against a team like Gujarat we needed to come up with a performance like this. In Chennai we are not sure how the wicket will be, we need to do well irrespective of batting or bowling first. Here if we have wickets in hand at the end it helps. Personally felt, Rachin batted brilliantly in the powerplay and took the game away,” Gaikwad commented while reflecting on the impressive win.

--By A Cricket Correspondent