Dhoni’s vintage best could not save Chennai Super Kings from one-run defeat
A nail-biting Indian Premier League clash in Bengaluru
Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s vintage best could not save Chennai Super Kings from suffering a narrow one-run defeat against Royal Challengers Bangalore in a nail-biting Indian Premier League clash in Bengaluru yesterday.
Needing 26 off the final over, Dhoni hit 24 of the first five balls and with two runs required off the last ball from Umesh Yadav, Dhoni scampered for a single after missing the slower one. But Sharadul Thakur failed to beat the direct throw from Parthiv Patel to trigger a massive celebrations from the home team and the fans.
The skipper remained unbeaten on 84 after coming in when Chennai were in deep trouble at 28 for four, chasing a target of 161 in 20 overs. Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu steadied the innings with a 55-run partnership for the fifth wicket. But the dreaded finisher kept going with his job, but could not take his team to victory.
Earlier, Royal Challengers wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel topscored with 53 off 37 deliveries after Dhoni won the toss and elected to bowl. Patel’s half-century followed by Moeen Ali’s quick 16-ball 26 propelled Bangalore to 161 for seven at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The Chennai bowlers kept on jolting the home side at regular intervals as Bangalore failed to post a big total, thanks to Deepak Chahar, Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo, who each picked two wickets beside bowling economically on a batting friendly Chinnaswamy track.
Bangalore received a major blow early as Chahar dismissed Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli (9) with the hosts’ score reading 11 runs in the third over.
Parthiv was then joined by South African superstar AB de Villiers (25 off 19) and they both showed some resistance, adding 47 runs for the second wicket before Jadeja struck to dismiss the latter. de Villiers while trying to clear the boundary miscued a Jadeja delivery to hand a catch to Faf du Plessis at long-off.
Akshdeep Nath (24 off 20) then added 41-runs with Parthiv as Bangalore slowly inched towards the three-digit mark.