'What happened in the last over was no fluke' - Faf du Plessis lauds Ravindra Jadeja for his exploits against RCB

Three-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) continued their winning streak in the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Super Kings registered a stunning victory against table-toppers Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 69 runs, courtesy Ravindra Jadeja.

Ravindra Jadeja caused carnage at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai as he produced a match-defining performance in all three facets of the game be it batting, bowling or fielding. Batting first, CSK were reeling at a score of 154 at the end of 19th over and were heading towards a below-par total. 

However in the last over, the spin all-rounder unleashed some unbelievable hitting in the middle as he smashed the purple cap holder Harshal Patel for many massive sixes and one boundary. Jadeja amassed as many as 37 runs in the last over to remain not out at 62 off just 28 balls.

The opening batsman Faf du Plessis, who scored a half-century, opined on the power-hitting by Jadeja saying that it was no fluke and the Indian star practiced a lot in the nets to smash maximums like those. “It was really good. Obviously, Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja) has been playing very well this season. His batting has improved a lot. He has become a very consistent performer with the bat for us. 

“What happened in the last over was no fluke. Jaddu trains well. He hits a lot of sixes in practice. It was a huge momentum shift. Up until that point, it was a par score. We were on 160-165, but the great hitting towards the end made it probably a bit too much for the opposition on a slow wicket,” Du Plessis said during the virtual press conference.

Ravindra Jadeja has got an absolute gem of an arm: Faf du Plessis

Jadeja was at his fluent best during the bowling and fielding too. In his four overs, he picked three crucial wickets of Washington Sundar, Glenn Maxwell, and AB de Villiers while conceding just 13 runs at an economy rate of 3.2. Along with that, the 32-year-old also executed a perfect direct hit to send Dan Christian back to the pavilion.

Speaking about the same, the former South Africa captain said, “I have always thought playing against Jaddu that he’s is the most dangerous fielder. When South Africa plays against India, we always talk about being careful when running twos to Jadeja on the boundary because he has got an absolute gem of an arm. To be so accurate in the 30-yard circle is a great skill to have. Not a lot of people can hit the stumps as consistently as he does.”

Free Hit with Sandeep Warrier