Ravindra Jadeja's all-round brilliance lifts CSK to top of table
The allrounder hammered a 28-ball 62, took 3-13, and effected a run-out against RCB
Fa du Plessis struck his second consecutive fifty and gave the Super Kings, who opted to bat, a solid start by clearing the in-field with ease against the fast bowlers. He caressed the first ball he faced through the covers and then lofted Mohmmed Siraj over long-on and Kyle Jamieson twice on the off side to set the tone for his team-mates.
Jadeja hammers 37 RUNS - equalling the highest runs scored in an over ever in the IPL https://t.co/YQD9dMoXXE | #CSKvRCB | #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/cUajcCf1Ym
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 25, 2021
Kohli had said at the toss they brought in Saini to "go hard at the batsman in the middle overs" with his pace but the exact opposite happened. Saini got only two overs for leaking 27 runs as his pace helped the Super Kings batters clear the short boundaries with ease. Becoming only the second team to opt to bat at Wankhede in the IPL since 2018, the Super Kings cruised to 83 for 1 at the halfway mark after Gaikwad fell for 33. Suresh Raina, promoted to No. 3 in the absence of the injured Moeen Ali, had already smashed three sixes in the first 15 balls he faced and the Super Kings were ready to launch from 110 for 1 after 12 overs.
On 154 for 4 after 19 overs, Jadeja heaved Patel, this season's highest-wicket taker, for four merciless sixes on the trot on the leg side. Whether it was a slower ball, a cutter or an attempted yorker, Jadeja kept smashing them towards the deep midwicket boundary. The third ball of the over was a no-ball for being a high full toss, and after Jadeja retained strike with a double off the over's fourth legitimate ball, he went on to smoke a fifth six, over long-on, before finishing the over with a one-bounce four behind square on the leg side to take the over's tally to 37.
Until Padikkal was batting, it looked like he would run away with the chase like he did against the Rajasthan Royals three days ago. With a combination of flourishing drives, pick-up shots and fluent strokes he tore into Deepak Chahar and Sam Curran to race to 34 off 14 before handing a catch to deep backward square leg off Shardul Thakur's short ball in the fifth over. Kohli had already edged Curran behind two overs ago and the chase now rested on Maxwell and de Villiers.
Vishal Dikshit is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo