CSK off-spinner Moeen Ali bowled two overs in Rajasthan Royals‘ (RR) innings.
In his first over, which was the 8th off RR’s innings, Ali was smashed for two sixes by Buttler. On the last two balls of the over, the off-spinner dropped a bit short, and Buttler, looking for scoring opportunities on a tricky Chepauk pitch, was quick to rock back and pull both the balls for sixes over mid-wicket.
Moeen Ali, though, had a perfect comeback against his England captain. He returned to bowl his second over in the 17th over of RR’s batting. It was a brave, but calculated move from CSK captain MS Dhoni, despite knowing that Buttler was once again going to tee off against the off-spinner, looking to take down the match-up of the off-spinner turning the ball into him.
This was, though, the move made by the mastermind that is MS Dhoni. And it instantly paid off for CSK Spinner and for CSK as Buttler missed his slog and was bowled.
Buttler shuffled a bit outside the off-stump, went low, and swung his bat for a mighty slog. Moeen Ali had, smartly, slowed down the ball, it pitched outside off, turned big, and went under Buttler’s wing to crash into the off-stump to the delight of the Chepauk crowd.
Watch: Moeen Ali knocks Jos Buttler’s off-stump out of the ground
Buttler was dismissed for 52(36) and this wicket helped CSK bring down RR’s total by at least 15 runs as Buttler would have teed off spectacularly in the later overs.
Playing XIs of both teams:
RR (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson(w/c), Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jason Holder, Kuldeep Sen, Sandeep Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal
CSK (Playing XI): Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w/c), Sisanda Magala, Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande, Akash Singh
RR Subs: Riyan Parag, Donavon Ferreira, KM Asif, Adam Zampa, Joe Root
CSK Subs: Ambati Rayudu, Mitchell Santner, Subhranshu Senapati, Shaik Rasheed, RS Hangargekar
