Bowlers, Sooryavanshi crush CSK in Guwahati opener
The batting of Chennai Super Kings was pathetic. The Rajasthan Royals produced a lot. CSK were bowled out for 127 in 19.4 overs. RR needed only 12.1 overs to get to 128. RR's Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was a one-man show, whereas CSK's effort was absent. The game was over in a flash thanks to a 15-ball fifty, which was the joint third-fastest in the IPL. This made an already poor total appear even worse. Such was Sooryavanshi's blitzkrieg that even the 53 runs Royals scored after the teenager's dismissal to get over the line, at a rate of over 9, felt rather slow by comparison.
The batting of Chennai Super Kings was pathetic. The Rajasthan Royals produced a lot. CSK were bowled out for 127 in 19.4 overs. RR needed only 12.1 overs to get to 128. RR's Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was a one-man show, whereas CSK's effort was absent. The game was over in a flash thanks to a 15-ball fifty, which was the joint third-fastest in the IPL. This made an already poor total appear even worse. Such was Sooryavanshi's blitzkrieg that even the 53 runs Royals scored after the teenager's dismissal to get over the line, at a rate of over 9, felt rather slow by comparison.
He made CSK get into more trouble. In the eighth over, the former CSK all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was brought in as CSK attempted to rebuild. By trapping Sarfaraz in front, he ensured that the recovery would not last. In the same over, Shivam Dube, a well-known spinner, hit a six, but Jadeja hit back, luring Dube into another big shot that Dube missed.
On debut, Kartik Sharma, a $14 million signing for CSK, was tasked with stopping the slide. He batted with with maturity, even striking a six off Ravi Bishnoi, but lacked support and eventually became the seventh to fall. It was Brijesh Sharma, the J&K pacer and RR's base-price buy, who enjoyed a productive start, picking up his maiden wicket by trapping Kartik in front and finished with 1 for 17 in three overs. After that, Kartik missed a good chance to keep Matt Henry from taking Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's wicket in the first over of the chase.
Jamie Overton. Walking in at No. 8 with CSK tottering at 57 for 6 after eight overs, he found himself in a rescue act from the outset. At the other end, the wickets kept falling, but Overton kept his composure and batted through the majority of the remaining overs to get CSK past 120. He was run out in the final over, ending both his effort and CSK's pathetic batting performance.
Sooryavanshi's fearlessness was everything. Even though he turned 15 just three days ago, Sooryavanshi once more demonstrated why he belongs at this level by slamming Henry over deep midwicket for a six, slashing the same bowler for another maximum, or treating Anshul Kamboj with contempt. Even though Sooryavanshi was still in his early days, he did not appear to be burdened by that burden in the second season, which is typically the real test for a young player. In this game, his wagon wheel, which looked like an hourglass and went from midwicket to long on one side and fine leg to point on the other, showed the positions he got himself into to play with the CSK bowlers.
On April 3 against Punjab Kings, CSK will play their first home game of the season in Chennai. On April 4, the Royals will travel to Ahmedabad to face the Gujarat Titans.
