Thousands of fans returning to Chepauk for IPL action after three years got everything they had asked for. While they were treated to a dazzling array of six-hitting by Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway followed by a three-ball cameo of 12 by MS Dhoni that proved crucial, the second half was about the skipper’s brilliant manoeuvring of his troops in the face of adversities and some quality spin bowling by Moeen Ali and Mitchell Santner. The end result was a 12-run win that got CSK going this season. Chasing 218, Lucknow Super Giants opener Kyle Mayers threatened to run away with the game with a 22-ball 53. But braving the onslaught, Dhoni employed Moeen in the Powerplay and the offie bowled slow through the air and invited Mayers to clear the long boundary over deep mid-wicket. The West Indies player failed and that started a mini-collapse with Moeen and Santner tightening the screws by picking up the crucial wickets of Deepak Hooda and KL Rahul that halted LSG in their tracks.
Kohli, Du Plessis take Bangalore to victory
Mumbai Indians pacer Jason Behrendorff, coming in as an impact player, managed to keep Royal Challengers Bangalore openers Faf du Plessis (73) and Virat Kohli (82*) quiet only for an over, his first. Kohli, with a fine flick off Arshad Khan’s inswinger, began an assault that left Mumbai bowlers bewildered. At the packed-to-the-rafters M Chinnaswamy stadium, the home team’s eight-wicket victory on was a dream campaign opener. While the bowling at the death remained a concern, RCB will take heart from their openers’ ruthless show of power hitting. Du Plessis found rhythm in Behrendorff’s third over, dispatching him for a boundary and two consecutive maximums which looked effortless. The 148-run opening association was highlighted by the versatility of the experienced superstars. Kohli took some time to get his eye in before taking command.
RR register emphatic win
There was little that Sunrisers Hyderabad could do than play mute spectators as Rajasthan Royals ran away with the IPL opener. The emphatic 72–run win for the Royals was courtesy blazing half-centuries by Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson and Yuzvendra Chahal’s chokehold. The Rajiv Gandhi International stadium was decked up on Sunday and nearly 37,731 faithful braved the afternoon sun in anticipation of a Sunrisers’ show but what transpired in the first 10 overs was a clear indication in which way the match was headed. The Sunrisers were clearly rusty and the Royals took full toll of them once stand-in captain Bhuvneshwar Kumar put them in, probably confident of his team’s ability to chase down Rajasthan Royals’ 203 for five.
Kings rule over sloppy Knights
Punjab Kings’ costliest recruit Sam Curran dismissed the dangerous Andre Russell at the nick of time to ensure a seven-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders via Duckworth-Lewis method in a rain-hit afternoon encounter of Indian Premier League. Chasing a target of 192, KKR were left stranded at 146 for 7 after 16 overs when heavy downpour put spanner on their hard work. The DLS par score at that time was 153. Had KKR not lost Russell (35 off 19 balls), who was looking to walk away with the game and then Venkatesh Iyer to Arshdeep Singh in the next over, the par score would have been lower before heavens opened up.
LSG hand Capitals a heavy defeat
Mark Wood scarred the Delhi Capitals top-order with scorching pace as his five-wicket haul beautifully complemented debutant Kyle Mayers’ superb 73 in Lucknow Super Giants’ comfortable 50 run win in their IPL opener. Mayers, who got a chance to showcase his exploits because of Quinton de Kock’s absence, hit seven sixes in his 38-ball knock which was largely responsible for solid 193/6 in 20 overs. In reply, Delhi Capitals managed only 143 for 9 with David Warner (56 off 48 balls) fight hardly being any sort of consolation. Wood (5/14 in 4 overs) bowled back-to-back lethal in-cutters at 147 clicks which Prithvi Shaw (12) and Mitchell Marsh (0) failed to even bring their respective bats down before the ball hit the ‘wood’ work.
Gujarat Titans corner opening glory
The template set by Gujarat Titans last season - allowing Wriddhiman Saha to go all out in the Powerplay overs and Shubman Gill to play himself in before going for his shots - was visible again as Gill’s sublime knock of 63 and Rashid Khan’s allround display helped the Titans began their defence of the IPL trophy by easing to a five-wicket win over four-time champions Chennai Super Kings on the opening night. After Gill was out, the Titans needed 41 off five overs. Three tight overs meant the Titans needed to score 23 off 12 balls. Khan hit a six over long off before edging a four over third man in the penultimate over of Deepak Chahar before Tewatia smashed ten runs in the last over to seal matters in favour of Titans.