Chennai Super Kings batters Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway in the course of the IPL 2023 cricket match against Lucknow Super Giants, at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai on April 3, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Opening pair of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway shared a scintillating century stand to power Chennai Super Kings to 217 for seven in an IPL match against Lucknow Super Giants right here on Monday. While the highly-rated Gaikwad hit an aesthetic half-century to lead CSK’s cost, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni smacked a 89-metre six and one other to ship the adoring Chepauk crowd right into a frenzy.
A delirious crowd had their glimpse of ‘Thala’, Dhoni as he carted two huge sixes earlier than being dismissed, going for a 3rd off Mark Wood’s bowling for 12 off Three balls.
After the preliminary blitz by Gaikwad (57 off 37 balls; Three fours, four sixes) and Devon Conway (47 off 29 balls; 5 fours, 2 sixes), there have been useful contributions from Shivam Dube (27 off 16 balls; 1 4, Three sixes) and Moeen Ali (19).
Wood, who picked up 5 wickets in LSG’s demolition of Delhi Capitals on Sunday, was not as efficient and completed with Three for 49 from his 4 overs.
LSG managed to put the brakes on the free-scoring CSK batters, thanks to a splendid spell by leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi (Three for 28 in four overs) within the center overs.
Sent in to bat by LSG captain Ok L Rahul, Gaikwad and Conway creamed 79 runs within the first six overs taking full benefit of the fielding restrictions as no bowler was spared the stick.
The fashionable Gaikwad continued his type from the season opener the place he hammered 92 and within the New Zealand left-hander’s firm introduced up the staff’s 100 within the eighth over.
Gaikwad made batting look really easy as he effortlessly lofted three sixes in Ok Gowtham’s opening over (fifth of the innings). He continued to pile on the runs and a flick for a six off the pacy Wood underlined the supreme type he’s in.
The CSK openers had been on a roll and introduced up the 100-run stand within the eighth over as LSG bowlers appeared clueless.
Paceman Avesh Khan, who bowled the second over of the innings, conceded 16 runs from his first 4 deliveries, together with 4 wides as CSK obtained off to a speedy begin.
Khan completed with figures of 1 for 39 in Three overs which included the large wicket of Ben Stokes (8).
Earlier, the beginning was delayed by a couple of minutes as a canine ran onto the sphere and required just a few floor employees to chase it out.