Ajinkya Rahane rolled back the clock with a blistering 61-run knock off 27 balls to help Chennai Super Kings beat Mumbai Indians in IPL 2023 on Saturday. Rahane got a chance in the playing XI because of an illness to Moeen Ali, but the 34-year-old batter made the most of the opportunity by smashing his fifty in just 19 balls, the fastest in IPL this season.
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After the match, Rahane credited the freedom given to him by CSK skipper MS Dhoni for his scintillating knock.
“It all boils down to how badly you want to play and how hungry you are to play. I always aim to play and contribute to my team’s cause. Especially when I came to know that CSK had bid for me, I was happy. I had heard a lot about the atmosphere in the dressing room. But when I came here, I actually experienced it. It is a wonderful atmosphere. That helps a player relax. Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) gives every player the freedom to play,” Rahane told JioCinema.
Read: Dhoni reveals his message to Rahane
Speaking about Rahane’s batting, Suresh Raina, one of CSK’s all-time greats, and a JioCinema IPL expert this season, said: “This is the strength of the yellow jersey! As we discussed mid-innings, both Rahane and Ruturaj are players from Mumbai and Maharashtra respectively and understand these pitches very well. So, they used the opportunity very well. This will be a sweet headache for Mahi bhai when Moeen Ali returns to the fold.”
Another JioCinema IPL expert, Parthiv Patel said: “No one would have expected that the fastest 50 of the IPL would come from Ajinkya Rahane, even though he has the batting ability and bats really well. But, a 50 in 19 balls is something no one would have thought of especially after how he has batted in the last few years. The way he batted against Arshad Khan in that over today where he struck 6, 4, 4,4, 4, we got to see all types of shots from him. If you look at his wagon wheel too you will see he scored all around the park.”
IPL 2023: Top moments from MI-CSK match
Patel recalled Rahane’s struggles during the IPL in the past few years, saying: “Throughout the innings it never looked like Rahane was taking risks. He always looked in control. He would be really happy because there was a stamp on him that he can’t bat in T20s. Because in the last two years once he remained unsold and Delhi released him once. So, in that context he would be thrilled with his performance.”
Man-of-the-match Jadeja and his spin bowling partner Mitchell Santner (2/28) too came in for high praise from Raina, who said: “Jadeja is bringing all his experience into play. The partnership that he has had with Santner looks very strong. The way Jadeja got Tilak Varma out showed that he is bowling with great discipline. Also, the catch he took shows how positive a frame of mind he is in today.”
Today in IPL 2023, Gujarat Titans will face KKR at 3.30 pm while Sunrisers Hyderabad will play Punjab Kings at 7.30 pm, live on JioCinema.
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