Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings had to face defeat in the first match of season 16. In this match played at Ahmedabad Stadium, Gujarat Titans won in the last over.
Chasing Chennai’s 179-run target, the Gujarat team had lost 5 wickets for 156 runs in 18 overs. Following this, Rashid Khan and Rahul Tewatia were in the fold. It then looked as though Dhoni’s side would win the match, but Rashid Khan scored 10 runs off just three balls at a strike rate of 333.33 to give his side victory in a thrilling match.
The Gujarat team won by scoring 182 runs for five wickets with four balls to spare from Shubman Gill’s half-century (63 runs off 36 balls), which is their third win in three matches against Chennai Super Kings.
Previously, the Super Kings scored 178 runs from seven wickets off opener Ruturaj Gaikwad’s half-century (92 runs off 50 balls, 9 sixes, four fours). Other than him, only Moeen Ali (23) was able to cross the 20-race mark. On the other hand, leg-spinner Rashid Khan took 26 Gujarat wickets, Mohammed Shami took 29 while Alzarri Joseph took two wickets for 33 runs.
The Super Kings were the first to use the IPL’s new ‘Impact Player’ rule, replacing Ambati Rayudu with Tushar Deshpande (one wicket for 51 runs) in the squad at the start of the Gujarat innings. In the second over of the innings, Wriddhiman Saha hit sixes and fours off consecutive balls from Deshpande, while Shubman Gill also hit four.
Saha hit debutant Rajvardhan Hengargekar (three for 36) for a four, but was caught at third man by Shivam Dubey with the ball from the same fast bowler. He scored 25 runs.
Gujarat also fielded Sai Sudarshan in place of Kane Williamson, who was injured during the lineup, using an ‘impact player’. Gill hit a four and a six in Deshpande’s next over. Gujarat scored 65 runs to a wicket on the power play.
Gill and Sudarshan each hit two fours on Mitchell Santner. However, Sudarshan (22) caught Dhoni in an attempt to manipulate the ball coming out the opposite side of Hengargekar. Gill brought the team’s score to 100 runs at 11 on consecutive fours and sixes from Jadeja and then completed his half-century in 30 balls with a Santner single.
Jadeja tried to bring the Super Kings back by bowling Gujarat captain Hardik Pandya (08). Gill got lucky in the 57th when Gaikwad dropped his catch to Deshpande and the ball went for six runs. However, he was unable to take advantage of this lifeline and caught Gaikwad on the next ball.
Gujarat needed 41 runs to win in the last five overs, but only 11 runs were scored in the next two overs. The Gujarat team now needed 30 runs in three overs. Vijay Shankar (27) hit Hengrekar for a six but was caught on a long ball later by Devon Conway. Only seven runs were scored in this over as well.
Rashid Khan (10 not out) edged Chahar in the 19th with sixes and fours on consecutive balls. Gujarat needed eight runs in Deshpande’s last over and Rahul Tewatia (15 not out) hit six and four on consecutive balls to win the team.