 "IPL 2024: Shivam Dube the finisher that CSK and India need")
‘Supremacy’ is a word that has often been associated with Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The ‘Kings of Consistency’ do not boast of a great head-to-head record (17 wins out of 37 games played) against Mumbai (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) but on Sunday, CSK showed that it’s not just the numbers or the head-to-head that matter.
Against MI on Sunday, the Chennai Super Kings were always the favourites. Given the kind of start MI had to their season , even on their own home turf, MI were going to be on the back foot.
In Photos | Gaikwad, Dube and Pathirana star as CSK down MI
MI’s lone fighter in their 207-run chase against CSK was Rohit Sharma. It’s that collective effort from batters that have hurt MI time and again and on Sunday, that was the case once again. Add to the fact that Matheesha Pathirana was unstoppable on his day, wreaking havoc with timely dismissals to halt Mumbai’s momentum. However, the stars of the day in terms of batting were Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shivam Dube, with the latter sending another reminder to the BCCI selectors ahead of the India squad selection for the T20 World Cup.
The Lone Warrior 👏
— JioHotstar Reality (@HotstarReality) April 14, 2024
First IPL century by Rohit Sharma at the Wankhede 🫡#MIvCSK #TATAIPL #IPLonJioCinema pic.twitter.com/vnf9Pbgd9v
Shivam Dube the finisher CSK (And India) need
On Sunday, former England cricketer Michael Vaughan commented it was important for India to have Hardik Pandya in their team for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Yes, Hardik brings experience to the team and some might argue that he is a definite ‘yes’. But Shivam Dube is in a league of his own and his performance against MI suggests that he, like Pandya, will be hard to ignore for the T20 World Cup.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsDube is the finisher that CSK needs. And probably the finisher that India needs as well. Who knows how long MS Dhoni will keep playing for CSK, and although it’s hard to replace someone like Dhoni, Dube is someone who displays Dhoni’s characteristics of calm and confident batter with a fearless approach.
Dube not leaving the shift key today, IYKYK 😉😏#MIvCSK #TATAIPL #IPLonJioCinema #IPLinBhojpuri pic.twitter.com/vHZH0TWe4q
— JioHotstar Reality (@HotstarReality) April 14, 2024
Also see | Updated IPL 2024 points table
On Sunday, Dube took on MI pacers who kept taunting him with short balls. Romario Shepherd was one of Dube’s victims whose short ball ploy did not work. In the 11th over, Shepherd unleashed one short ball from around the wicket, and Dube took his time to nail the pull through mid-off, beating Hardik Pandya on that occasion. On the last ball of that same over, Romario launched another short one, and Dube cleared the third-man fence with ease.
However, the highlight of Dube’s knock came in the 14th over, when he once again took on Romario Shepherd. Shepherd kept going with the short balls despite that plan not working. In the second ball of the 14th, Shepherd banged another short ball on middle and leg, allowing Dube to clear the backward square leg fence with swinging shot. Shepherd was Dube’s favourite bowler on Sunday with the latter amassing 33 runs against the West Indian in just two overs.
Dube was brilliant with his cover drives on Sunday and nobody could really time and place the ball the way he did.
The biggest myth that had been doing the rounds around Dube was that he was only a spin-hitter but Sunday proved otherwise. MI probably did not go with Shreyas Gopal in the middle overs because they knew Dube was too good against spinners. But MI’s plan to switch to medium pacers backfired even more.
And of course, any CSK innings these days is incomplete without an MS Dhoni special . On Sunday, the former skipper took centre stage once again with a four-ball knock of 20 that consisted of three sixes. And not to forget, Ruturaj Gaikwad (69) led from the front on a day where collective team effort was the difference.
Matheesha Pathirana masterclass
MI had started their chase on a confident note with Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan putting up 70 for the opening wicket. While MI would have known very well that 70 runs for the opening wicket was just not going to be enough, the hosts needed a majority of their other batters to step up. However, barring Rohit, whose century went in vain, and Tilak Varma (31), none of the other batters showed the kind of character or confidence that CSK’s batters did earlier.
The destructor for CSK was Sri Lanka’s Matheesha Pathirana. He has formed a wonderful partnership with Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman and they have surely worked well as a duo, keeping national rivalries aside. Be it combining for a caught dismissal or causing damage with the ball, the Fizz and Pathirana are enjoying life at CSK.
While Mustafizur had an off day, taking just one wicket and going for 55 runs, Pathirana, with figures of 4/28, showed that he can deliver when one of CSK’s pacers have an off day.
Pathirana had been out of a few games for CSK with a hamstring injury that he initially sustained during the T20I series against Bangladesh in March, but on Sunday, the pacer was impeccable with his line and length. Pathirana struck the very first ball of his spell. It was a full length ball on the pads to Ishan Kishan who holed out to Shardul Thakur at midwicket.
Two balls later, Pathirana struck once again. This time it was a short ball wide of off to Suryakumar Yadav, who played the upper cut only to find Mustafizur with the catch at the boundary ropes.
Pathirana nailed those short balls and yorkers to halt MI’s momentum, and skipper Gaikwad was particularly pleased with the yorkers. “Our Malinga bowled exceptionally well and nailed those yorkers. Not to forget - even Tushar and Shardul bowled well. We encourage everyone to be in a good headspace,” said Gaikwad after the match.
In the 14th over, Pathirana’s dismissal of Tilak Varma was probably the defining moment of the game. It was a slow ball from Pathirana and Tilak was early on the swing as he found Shardul Thakur with the catch at mid-off. That was when all hopes were lost for MI because Rohit and Tilak were somewhat regaining some momentum with a 60-run stand.
Pathirana’s day was complete with the dismissal of Shepherd in the 18th over. MI were 157/6 midway through the 18th over and by this time, Rohit Sharma was running out of partners and for MI there was no way back in the game.
Even a couple of boundaries in the 20th over, the second of which brought up his century could not save MI as it came a bit too late.
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