Twitter Reactions: KL Rahul carnage too hot to handle as CSK slip to third defeat on the trot

Rahul belted a 42-ball unbeaten 98 to hunt the down the 134-run target in 13 overs.

By Pratyay Tiwari

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KL Rahul
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KL Rahul. (Photo Source: Twitter/Indian Premier League)

In one of the most scintillating ball-striking exhibitions, KL Rahul made short work of a 134-chase, singlehandedly scoring 73 per cent of the target alone and killing the chase in merely 13 overs to record a net-run-rate boosting victory in Dubai.

On a surface that appeared slightly difficult to time the ball initially, Rahul made batting look the easiest job of the world; also pushing CSK into a bit of a hole as they slipped to their third defeat on the trot after winning four on the bounce to ensure playoff qualification.

CSK’s late bloom

The Super Kings template of success in both the legs has been the runs up top by Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis before the middle-order comprising the Moeen Alis and Ambati Rayudus blasts off and sprinkle up a bit more in the death with some late acceleration and cameos. Twice in a row, CSK have not quite managed to apply that template.

While there has been some role of the tracks, not all could be attributed to that. Against PBKS, the team made a rather ominous start and was reduced to 42/4 in the 9th over, losing a couple of wickets inside the powerplay itself. Ruturaj Gaikwad miscued a pull and found midwicket off an Arshdeep Singh short ball to document his issues against that kind of bowling once again, while Singh soon had Moeen Ali caught behind for a six-ball duck.

With contributions of 2 and 4, Robin Uthappa and Ambati Rayudu did little to help the team struggling to find momentum, with du Plessis holding an end. Renowned for his reputation of delivering the goods at the death, Chris Jordan, the lone change of PBKS on the day, struck twice in his first spell: Uthappa holed out to square leg before Rayudu holed out in the deep, leaving his team in exactly that kind of trouble.

Fantastic Faf

On a day when no other CSK batter even managed to cross 15, Faf du Plessis notched up a grinding half-century to ensure his team had a competitive total on board. Grinding might not be the term one would associate with the format but for someone known for his free-flowing batting, du Plessis had to work considerably harder for his runs in the middle.

MS Dhoni did manage to hit a couple of boundaries but Ravi Bishnoi’s googly proved too good in the end to cut him short for a 12 off 15. Du Plessis, meanwhile, who got to his half-century in 46 balls, pressed the accelerator as CSK finished 134/6 after being 86/5 in the 16th over. His 55-ball 76 included eight boundaries and a couple of sixes before Mohammed Shami struck to send him back in the final over.

KL Rahul tees off and finishes 

PBKS were in absurd pursuit of chasing the target in a mere 17 balls to surpass KKR’s net run rate in the points tally. While that was never happening, what did was not anything less than sensational.

Rahul made his intentions clear right from the onset, smashing a couple of fours in the opening over the response against Deepak Chahar, before giving the same treatment to Josh Hazlewood in the fourth over that produced 15.

His onslaught meant PBKS managed to post 51 in the powerplay despite a double-wicket fifth over from Shardul Thakur, who trapped Mayank Agarwal lbw only two before Sarfaraz Khan skied him to Faf du Plessis at mid-off to walk back for a three-ball duck.

So ruthless was Rahul’s carnage, he nearly hunted down the target all by himself. Not even the most impressive CSK bowler, Thakur, who finished 3/28, was spared by his might, as Rahul took the attack to him in the 7th over, belting him for a six and four off consecutive deliveries before doing a repeat in the 13th to finish off the game.

There was hardly a moment he took the foot off the pedal even in his unbeaten 98 bejewelled with eight sixes and seven fours. CSK did manage a couple of more strikes, with Sharukh Khan holing out to long-on off Deepak Chahar before Thakur claimed his third in Aiden Markram but the PBKS skipper’s carnage just proved too hot to handle.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

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