Last Update on: April 13th, 2023 at 12:32 am

There was absolute drama in the 17th match of  IPL 2023. RR won the match by mere 3 runs & now have topped the points table with 6 points with an NRR (net run rate) of +1.59. Ravichandran Ashwin‘s performance with both bat & ball proved to be decisive. Ravichandran Ashwin scored 30 runs when the team were in deep trouble & took 2 key scalps of Ajinkya Rahane & Shivam Dube.

Sanju Samson’s captaincy was top-notch. Sandeep Sharma didn’t panic even when MS Dhoni struck 2 back to back sixes in the last over. Sandeep Sharma bowled into the block hole & stunned the M Chidambaram Stadium as scoring 7 runs in 3 balls is not that big a task.

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The dismissal of Ajinkya Rahane in the 10th over by Ashwin proved to be the turning point. Rahane was set & was looking ominous and scored 31 runs in 19 balls & struck 2 fours and 1 six. CSK’s score at that time was 78-2 and they required 98 more to win which was quite attainable. CSK’s tactics to play out the spinners didn’t work well, they allowed the likes of Ashwin & Chahal to settle.

Also Read: CSK vs RR: Watch – Ravichandran Ashwin Tries To Outsmart Ajinkya Rahane, Gets Fitting Reply From Batsman

CSK perhaps need to change their batting positions, they have got too many left-handed batters in the middle order. CSK’s next match is against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on 17th April (*Monday) and they need to either change their batting approach or change their positions.

IPL 2023 | India National Cricket Team | Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | Delhi Capitals (DC) | Gujarat Titans (GT) | Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | Lucknow Supergiants (LSG) | Mumbai Indians (MI) | Punjab Kings (PBKS) | Rajasthan Royals (RR) | Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) | SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH)

RR on the other side would be over the moon as they had defeated CSK at Chepauk way back in 2013. Ravichandran Ashwin is proving to be the silent assassin who can take the team out of any situation. It looks like Jos Buttler is going to torment the bowlers in IPL  2023 as it was his half-century earlier that gave RR the momentum.

Also Read: CSK vs RR: “You Are Never Safe With That Guy” – Sanju Samson On MS Dhoni After He Nearly Fires CSK To Unlikely Win Over Rajasthan Royals

We lost Sanju Samson and I had to do a job- Ravichandran Ashwin

During the post-match presentation, Ravichandran Ashwin spoke about his promotion while batting. Ashwin stated that his Test match form has made him confident.

“I surprise people I guess. Whenever I walk out to bat, people assume I just took that decision and came out, but that’s a role given to me, we lost Sanju and I had to do a job. I am far better at judging my strengths, I take a few balls to get going. Every batting innings, I am padded up from the start. It’s not an easy thing but it is good,” said Ravichandran Ashwin.

Virat Kohli | Rohit Sharma | Rishabh Pant | KL Rahul | Suryakumar Yadav | Sanju Samson | Shreyas Iyer | Yuzvendra Chahal | Jasprit Bumrah

“I came off with good Test form. I feel I am able to get good grip and drop on the ball at the right lengths. If I was not able to do those things in the two years (with Punjab Kings) then I wouldn’t be able to do it here. Success or failure, it has to be on my own terms,” he added.

Also Read: IPL 2023: “They Are Preparing For Full Year Not Just An IPL Season” – Eoin Morgan On Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes Managing Injuries in IPL

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