Hyderabad, April 5 (UNI) Chennai Super Kings (CSK) struggled to capitalise on their batting opportunities, ending with a modest total of 165 for 5 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in an Indian Premier League match on Friday.
Shivam Dube showed good form, scoring 45 runs off 24 balls, while Ajinkya Rahane contributed 35 runs off 30 balls. Their partnership of 65 runs for the third wicket was the highlight of the CSK innings.
However, the team only managed to add 37 runs in the last five overs, which could be a crucial factor in the match.
Ravindra Jadeja played a crucial role for CSK with an unbeaten 31 off 23 balls towards the end of the innings, providing the necessary impetus. Former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni remained not out on one run from two balls.
SRH's bowling effort was commendable, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Pat Cummins, T Natarajan, Shahbaz Ahmed, and Jaydev Unadkat each taking a wicket.
CSK had a decent start but lost momentum as the innings progressed. Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed the first wicket of the season for SRH by dismissing Rachin Ravindra. Rahane and Ruturaj Gaikwad added some runs, but the introduction of spin by Shahbaz Ahmed led to Gaikwad's dismissal.
Rahane struggled to find fluency in his strokeplay against the slower deliveries from Bhuvneshwar, Unadkat, and Natarajan. Dube played aggressively during his partnership with Rahane, hitting 2 boundaries and 4 sixes before falling to a delivery from Cummins.
After Dube's dismissal, Rahane followed suit in the next over, further denting CSK's momentum. Despite their efforts, CSK couldn't accelerate as desired towards the end of the innings, leaving them with a challenging target to defend against SRH. UNI BDN SSP