Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja was the man with the golden touch for his team as he single-handedly handed the first loss of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). In the first innings, he played a flashy knock of unbeaten 62 off 28 balls including the 37-run final over off Harshal Patel which helped CSK to reach from 154 for 4 to 191 for 4. And then with the ball, Jadeja struck in each of his first three overs.
Jadeja got the prized wicket of Washington Sundar, Glenn Maxwell, and AB de Villiers. RCB managed to reach the tally of 122 for 9 in their chase of 192 and suffered a 69-run loss. With the emphatic win, CSK has reached the top of the charts at the IPL 2021 points table. Jadeja then completed a remarkable spell with figures of 3/13 in 4 overs as he got a standing ovation from the team owners and teammates at the Wankhede Stadium.
WATCH – Dhoni Advising Jadeja Before Maxwell’s Wicket
To go with the game-changing bowling spell, Jadeja also got the wicket of Dan Christian with a direct hot. Notably, it was Christian who dropped the all-rounder when he was batting on 0. Apart from Jadeja, leg-spinner Imran Thair, playing his first game for IPL 2021, shone with figures of 2/16 as the two Chennai spinners who made sure that RCB don’t have the chance of chasing the total down.
Barring Devdutt Padikkal (34), Glenn Maxwell (22), and Kyle Jamieson (16), none of the other Bangalore batsmen managed to get going. Earlier, after opting to field first, Chennai Super Kings got off to a solid start as their openers, Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaekwad scored 51 runs in the powerplay.
Du Plessis completed his second successive half-century and was looking good alongside Suresh Raina. However, Harshal Patel removed the well-set Raina and du Plessis off successive deliveries in the 14th over. RCB applied the brakes in the middle overs and looked in control even after Daniel Christian had dropped the catch of Ravindra Jadeja on 0.
WATCH – Netizens Applaud As Ravindra Jadeja Smashed 37 Off Harshal Patel
Ambati Rayudu struggled to get going and eventually dismissed by Patel but with Jadeja in the middle, CSK had hopes of a score in the vicinity of 170. It all changed in the final over when Jadeja took 37 off Patel including 5 sixes and a 4. In response, RCB got off to a quick start thanks to Devdutt Padikkal. The young southpaw continued from where he left in the last game against RR, but Virat Kohli fell cheaply to Sam Curran. But Padikkal’s cameo was cut short by Shardul Thakur in his first over.
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
#DanChristian will make sure he is not in #ViratKohli’s Peripheral radar 😋#CSKvRCB #VIVOIPL
— Pragyan Ojha (@pragyanojha) April 25, 2021
Had to repost this 🤣🏏👏🏼🙌🏼 #CSKvsRCB pic.twitter.com/Te1Y774qZ3
— S.Badrinath (@s_badrinath) April 25, 2021
And after the match @imjadeja will part the sea!!! pic.twitter.com/emjpw9ZaMx
— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93) April 25, 2021
What was that from jadeja !! Wow , simply wow !!#IPL2021 #csk #CSKvRCB
— Rohan Gavaskar (@rohangava9) April 25, 2021
LIVE from the ground – Rockstar Jadeja slicing RCB to bits #CSKvRCB #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/NrAi1rsHqR
— Hemang Badani (@hemangkbadani) April 25, 2021
Sir Jadeja 🙇♂️ #IPL2021 #CSK pic.twitter.com/M1Oi3W0RNf
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) April 25, 2021
Think Jadeja might be a chance at man of the match here 😳
— Jimmy Neesham (@JimmyNeesh) April 25, 2021
Cracking over from @CurranSM #CSKvRCB
— Mitchell McClenaghan (@Mitch_Savage) April 25, 2021
What a knock #jadeja but “picture abhi baki hai”. So true this is the platform where talent meets opportunity… #ipl #padikkal #CSKvRCB #ipl2021
— Pragyan Ojha (@pragyanojha) April 25, 2021
Sir Ravindra Jadeja alright @imjadeja #VIVOIPL #CSKvRCB 👏👏
— Russel Arnold (@RusselArnold69) April 25, 2021
Crickets interesting… we know 192 at Wankhede is more than possible to chase. The mind set of the @RCBTweets batters will be interesting. Often 6 (or 7balls in this case) can swing a teams psyche… when in actual fact 192 as a whole is an attainable target pre game. #CSKvRCB
— Mitchell McClenaghan (@Mitch_Savage) April 25, 2021
Ball 6 aur run 37. Only Sir Jadeja can do it. Unbelievable hitting against the purple cap holder. #CSKvRCB
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) April 25, 2021
Vera level batting @imjadeja super hitting 👌💪 #CSKvRCB @ChennaiIPL @IPL
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) April 25, 2021
Fantastic @imjadeja !! 6666264 reasons why he should be in the biggest contract @BCCI 😜😜 #IPL2021 @whistIepodu
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) April 25, 2021
When Jadeja retires from Cricket he should be India's
" Direct Hit Coach 😃 "
— Broken Cricket (@BrokenCricket) April 25, 2021
https://twitter.com/DanishSait/status/1386315257023328264?s=20