The MS Dhoni-starrer Chennai Super Kings (CSK) returned to their home ground, i.e. the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, after 1,426 days when they hosted the KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in match 6 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 edition on Monday evening (April 03). After a loss in the season-opener, the Yellow Army resorted to home comforts to beat Lucknow by 12 runs.
Opting to bowl first, Rahul-led Lucknow didn’t have the best of starts. Ruturaj Gaikwad, coming on the back of a splendid 50-ball 92 versus the Gujarat Titans (GT), continued his sublime form to stitch an impressive 110-run stand for the first wicket. Gaikwad fell for a 31-ball 57, at 183.87, whereas Devon Conway fell for an impressive 47.
CSK, who scored its third-highest runs in powerplays (75/0 in 6 overs), continued to pile runs with blazing cameos from Shivam Dube (16-ball 27), Moeen Ali (13-ball 19), Ambati Rayudu’s (14-ball 27*) and MS Dhoni’s 3-ball 12. The CSK skipper also completed 5,000 runs in the IPL, becoming the seventh batter to enter the elite club. As a result, CSK posted a mammoth 217 for 7 with Ravi Bishnoi (3 for 28) and Mark Wood (3 for 48) chipping in with regular scalps.
In reply, LSG were off to a blinder. Kyle Mayers, who struck a rapid fifty in the previous game, slammed Tushar Deshpande, Ben Stokes and Deepak Chahar with captain Rahul giving him good company as well. CSK pacers were sloppy but Moeen Ali and Mitchell Santner brought the side back just before the end of the powerplay overs.
Moeen Ali’s 4 for 26, removing Mayers, Rahul, Marcus Stoinis and Krunal Pandya, led the charge for Dhoni & Co. Mitchell Santner removed Deepak Hooda whereas Deshpande came back strongly in his final spell to dismiss Nicholas Pooran and Ayush Badoni to restrict LSG at 205 for 7.
Eventually, CSK were sloppy at parts but did enough damage with the bat to emerge on top and pick their first points of the season.
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