Chennai Super Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants will play against each other at their home ground, the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai in their second match of IPL 2023. The game is set to take place on April 3 and will feature a high-energy contest between two star-studded teams.
CSK had a disappointing start to their season, losing their opening game to the Gujarat Titans. Despite this, promising Indian opener Ruturaj Gaikwad played an exceptional innings, scoring 92 off 50 deliveries and being the only standout batter for the team.
On the other hand, LSG had a successful start to their campaign, defeating the Delhi Capitals in their first game. Led by KL Rahul, their team posted an impressive score of 192 runs and, with the help of bowlers Mark Wood, Avesh Khan, and Ravi Bishnoi, restricted their opponents to just 143.
Chennai Super Kings secured their first win of the season at Chepauk against Lucknow Super Giants, thanks to a 4-wicket haul by Moeen Ali and a second consecutive IPL fifty by Ruturaj Gaikwad. CSK won by 12 runs, with Gaikwad, Ambati Rayudu, Shivam Dube, and MS Dhoni contributing to a total of 217 runs with 13 maximums and 15 boundaries. Lucknow Super Giants' Mark Wood and Ravi Bishnoi took three wickets each. CSK's captain, Dhoni, chose to stick with the same team as their previous match, while LSG made one change to their playing XI.
CSK's return to Chepauk after three years was highly anticipated, and the crowd gave a warm welcome to Dhoni and his team. CSK had lost their first match of the season to Gujarat Titans by five wickets, with Rashid Khan and Rahul Tewatia thwarting their efforts. Although their batting was decent, their young bowling unit struggled to defend their total of 178 runs.
Despite the loss in their opener, CSK remained confident going into their homecoming match against LSG. The team had a strong record at Chepauk, having won 54 out of the 76 matches played at the venue.
LSG won the toss and chose to bowl first, hoping to take advantage of the early conditions. However, Gaikwad once again provided a solid start for CSK, scoring his second consecutive half-century. Rayudu and Dube played valuable cameos, but it was Dhoni's two sixes in the final over that pushed CSK's total over the 200-run mark.
In response, LSG's chase got off to a poor start as they lost their first three wickets for just 20 runs. Ali bowled an excellent spell, taking four wickets and reducing LSG to 111/7 at one stage. However, some late hitting from Chris Lynn and Ravichandran Ashwin gave LSG a glimmer of hope. In the end, they fell short by 12 runs, with CSK securing their first win of the season.
The victory was a much-needed boost for CSK, who had struggled in the previous season. With their first win under their belt, they would be hoping to build some momentum and continue their winning run in the tournament.
Moenn Ali was named Player of the Match due to his exceptional bowling performance, which resulted in him taking 4 wickets for 28 runs, as well as contributing 19 runs off 13 balls with the bat. He mentions that the game was challenging because the opposing team had formidable batters. He tried to bowl similarly to how he would in Test cricket by focusing on getting the ball to turn.
Moenn Ali emphasizes that it's crucial not to bowl too high, as it could pose a danger to batters. He also notes that his partnership with Mitchell Santner was productive, with Santner taking a wicket. Moenn Ali commends MS Dhoni's ability to determine when to bowl each player. He highlights that off-spinners can still bowl to right-handers since batters feel pressured to hit towards long boundaries. Finally, he clarifies that he won't be bowling all the time, as Ravindra Jadeja is also present, and they will take each game as it comes.
CSK has a reputation for their successful homecomings, whether it was in 2018 or their most recent one in 2023. On Monday, they scored 217 for 7 and managed to defend it, winning the game by 12 runs. The match was quite thrilling, and after Moeen Ali's impressive performance, the young players stepped up and helped guide the team to victory.
Lucknow's Kyle Mayers was a standout player, scoring his second consecutive fifty, but his efforts weren't enough to carry his team to a win. Tushar Deshpande deserves credit for his impressive comeback after a rough start, ultimately ending with figures of 2 for 45 in 4 overs. Moeen Ali also played a significant role in the game, bringing CSK back into the game after Lucknow scored their best powerplay score of 80/1. He achieved his best IPL bowling figures of 4 for 26 in 4 overs, and his contribution was particularly noteworthy.
We have seen a very enjoyable match where the fortunes of both teams fluctuated throughout the game. The fans of the home team have reason to be happy as their team won by 12 runs in their return to this venue after a four-year absence. Despite some tense moments, Chennai managed to remain composed, and ultimately their batting performance was sufficient to secure their first victory of the competition.
Job well done CSK!
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