IPL 2021: Jadeja does the star turn to halt RCB

The way the Royal Challengers Bangalore had been going, it was inevitable that a defeat had been lurking round the corner. And Sunday, an off day back in India, happened to be the day. It was an off day, quite literally, for RCB.

They had been the best team in the competition so far after being on a hot-streak of four wins on the bounce. But Virat Kohli’s men were brought down to earth as they crumbled to a massive 69-run loss in their pursuit of 192 against the Chennai Super Kings, at the Wankhede Stadium.

And the man who did the star turn was Ravindra Jadeja, who sparkled with both bat and the ball. After biffing his second IPL half-century and his first of the season, Jadeja then went on to snap up three for 13 to leave RCB on the floor. He also effected a run out. Veteran South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir, who had replaced Moeen Ali, in the line-up, and playing his first game of the season, returned with two for 16.

RCB opener Devdutt Padikkal was aggressive during the chase but fell after making a 15-ball 34, which was peppered with four boundaries and two sixes. Glenn Maxwell scored 22 from 15 with three fours after which they went down a slippery slope to finish up at 122-9.

Earlier, Jadeja’s fifty and Faf du Plessis’ rich vein of form saw the Chennai Super Kings post a competitive 191-4.

Jadeja scored an unbeaten 62 from just 28 deliveries that was studded with five sixes and four boundaries after du Plessis, who had made 95 not out against the Kolkata Knight Riders the other night, had laid the foundation for the assault with 50 from 41 balls, his 18th fifty. The South African, who had made 33 and an unbeaten 36 against the Rajasthan Royals and the Punjab Kings previously, had five boundaries and a six in his knock.

Du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad came up with a 74-run opening stand off 58 balls, in the opening 10 overs to give CSK a great start, after they had raced to 51 for no loss in the powerplay.

Du Plessis and Suresh Raina then added 37 from 27 balls for the second wicket with the latter coming up with an 18-ball 24 with three sixes and a boundary. The Chennai Super Kings suffered twin blows after du Plessis followed Raina back to the dug-out to leave Harshal Patel, the Purple Cap holder, on a hat-trick. But Jadeja not just denied the medium pacer the accolade but also later went on to club him for five sixes and a boundary as 37 came from the last over of the innings.

The left-hander equaled fellow southpaw Chris Gayle’s record of most runs in an over in the IPL. Gayle, who was playing for RCB then, had smashed Prasanth Parameshwaran of the Kochi Tuskers Kerala for 37 runs, in 2011.

Jadeja came up with some delightful shots and was also involved in a 31-run alliance from 22 balls with Ambati Rayudu, who made 14 from seven balls with a lone boundary and a six.

Harshal Patel finished with figures of three for 51.

The teams move on from Mumbai with the Royal Challengers Bangalore flying to Ahmedabad to face the Delhi Capitals on Tuesday night, while the Chennai Super Kings are off to New Delhi where they lock horns with the Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday night.

james@khaleejtimes.com

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