Ajinkya Rahane and Shivam Dube: while on one side it was class-filled mayhem, on another it was utter destruction. CSK‘s pair of a diminutive veteran and belligerent power-hitter tore into the hapless KKR bowlers on Sunday evening to light up the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the home crowd not shying away from enjoying the utter carnage from the visiting side.
KKR would have thought that they had gotten some respite from the run-scoring spree when Chakaravarthy dismissed Conway on the first ball of the 13th over. Little did they know that it was to be followed by more annihilation and more embarrassing and more forgettable balls for KKR bowlers.
On their home turf, KKR bowlers got slaughtered by the pair of Ajinkya and Dube in a blockbuster partnership of 85 runs from only 32 balls which involved a period of 5 balls wherein the pair ransacked 28 runs smoking 4 sixes and a four in a row.
CSK piled up 235/4 vs KKR in Kolkata
In fact, that didn’t take long after Dube had arrived – indeed this spree started in that same Chakaravarthy over in which Conway was dismissed.
Shivam Dube, sent out in the role of a spin basher, muscled the 5th ball of that over above mid-wicket and followed it up another gigantic six, this time over the bowler’s head, straight back down the ground to close the over with back-to-back sixes.
On the other end, Rahane, who had started off nicely and was 19 off 14, took off for another flier, this time against his former India teammate and senior pacer Umesh Yadav.
On the first ball, he played a thrilling pick-up shot, taking a full ball from his pads and depositing it over deep backward square leg. On the next delivery, as Umesh overcorrected himself and making it a bit short, Ajinkya Rahane walked across the off-stump and played a rare scoop shot for another six. Oh, what T20 cricket makes you do!
This made 4 sixes in a row for CSK. And Ajinkya Rahane capped it off with a beautiful boundary strokes – overpitched outside, the right-hander leans forward and classily drives it for four. The over didn’t end well for Umesh either as Dube picked up another four making it a 22-run expensive over from Yadav.
Watch: Carnage from Ajinkya Rahane and Shivam Dube in Eden
🔥 We are using 'Ridiculous' and 'Rahane' in one sentence… who would have thunk!? 🤯#KKRvCSK #IPLonJioCinema #TATAIPL #IPL2023 | @ajinkyarahane88 pic.twitter.com/zXhhtfIFlv
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) April 23, 2023
