Pune’s Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium is the new home venue for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2018. CSK have been forced to change their home venue for this season due to the present security concern in Chennai over the protest on Cauvery water issue. While CSK played their opening home game of this season at MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk, Chennai), the original home venue of CSK, they will now play their remaining six home games in this season at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium (Pune).
Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium had organised regular matches in the several previous IPL seasons. Earlier, it was the home venue for defunct IPL teams Pune Warriors India (PWI) and Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS). Apart from that, there were also several IPL matches played including two playoffs (Qualifier 1 in 2012 and Eliminator in 2015).
Now, we will look at 5 memorable IPL matches at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium (Pune).
IPL 2016: Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) vs Gujarat Lions (GL) on April 29, 2016
RPS batsman Steven Smith had a superb century in that game after Gujarat asked them to bat first. With the opener Ajinkya Rahane, Smith first put an important 111-runs partnership for the second wicket that set the momentum for a good total. While Rahane was dismissed for 53 runs, Smith carried the innings with skipper MS Dhoni. Smith completed his century in 53 balls as he scored 101 runs off 54 balls. Dhoni remained unbeaten on 30 runs as RPS put a total of 195/3 at the end of 20 overs.
Dwayne Bravo (1/40) was the only Gujarat bowler to take a wicket in that match as the other dismissals in the RPS innings were through the run-out.
Chasing down the big total, Gujarat started their innings superbly as their powerplay score was 72/0 (at the end of 6 overs). After a good 93-runs opening partnership, Brendon McCullum was dismissed on 43 off 22 balls.
Dwayne Smith completed a half-century off 28 balls and scored 63 off 37 balls before getting dismissed. Later, skipper Suresh Raina (34 runs) and Dinesh Karthik (33 runs) put another good partnership before their batting collapsed at the dead end.
Gujarat needed 20 runs in last 12 balls and they had seven wickets in hands. While the match was favouring for Gujarat side, RPS took two wickets in each of the last two overs.
In the last over, Gujarat needed 7 runs with 5 wickets in hands while Thisara Perera came with the ball. Set batsman Suresh Raina was dismissed in the third ball of that over and Ishan Kishan was run-out in the next ball that set panic for Gujarat. While the score was tied in the fifth delivery, birthday boy James Faulkner snatched the victory for Gujarat in the final ball after taking the winning single.
Brief Scores: RPS – 195/3 in 20 overs (Steven Smith 101, Ajinkya Rahane 53, Dwayne Bravo 1/40)
GL – 196/7 in 20 overs (Dwayne Smith 63, Brendon McCullum 43, Ashok Dinda 2/40)
Result – GL won by 3 wickets (with 0 balls to spare)
Player of the Match – Dwayne Smith (GL)
