Kolkata, April 23 (IANS) Devon Conway smashed his fourth consecutive fifty of IPL 2023 while Ajinkya Rahane dazzled with an unbeaten 29-ball 71 and Shivam Dube slammed a quick 21-ball half-century to propel Chennai Super Kings to a massive 235/4 against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Sunday.
Conway continued his impressive show while Dube attacked the spinners effortlessly and Rahane went after both pace and spin, timing his shots magnificently as Chennai posted the highest IPL score at this venue and against Kolkata.
After a blistering 73-run opening partnership, Rahane and Dube shared a fantastic stand of 85 runs off 32 balls for the third wicket, giving many fans wearing the yellow jersey in the stadium enthralling moments.
The four-time champions had their plans bang-on in taking Kolkata’s listless bowling attack to cleaners by hitting 18 sixes and 14 fours in their innings, with leg-spinner Suyash Sharma being the standout bowler for the hosts with his spell of 1-29.
Electing to bowl first, Kolkata used four bowlers in Power-play. But none of them were able to stop the glorious touch Gaikwad and Conway have been as a pair in the tournament. While Gaikwad got streaky boundaries off an inside edge and top edge, Conway was like a Ferrari in top gear.
He began by swiping across the line over deep square leg for six off David Wiese, followed by using his feet to hammer Varun Chakaravarthy down the ground for another maximum. Conway easily pulled Wiese for four and was lucky to get a boundary despite mistiming a drive.
After Conway sliced hard off Kulwant Khejroliya for four to bring the half-century of the opening partnership, Gaikwad swung him hard for six and then cut Sunil Narine for a glorious four through extra cover, followed by a magnificent inside-out loft over the same region for six.
Kolkata finally broke the partnership in the eighth over as Suyash got a googly to turn in from outside the off-stump and dipped in a bit to rattle Gaikwad’s off-stump through the gate.
Conway marched on to dance down the pitch and launched Narine for a six over long-on, and brought up his fifty in 34 balls. He then followed it up by nailing a slog-sweep off Chakaravarthy through mid-wicket as Chennai brought up their hundred in the 11th over.
His knock ended in the 13th over when he smashed straight to long-off on a wide delivery from Chakaravarthy. Chennai were able to cancel out the effect of Conway’s fall with Dube smashing two huge sixes over deep mid-wicket and straight down the ground.
Rahane joined the boundary-hitting party by smashing two sixes and a four off Umesh in the 14th over yielding 22 runs, with the one timed over deep backward square leg for a maximum off the bowler’s pace being the standout shot.
After Dube had an outside edge off Umesh going for four, he muscled a six off Wiese over long-on and followed it up by slapping past mid-off for four. Post the fifty-run stand coming in just 16 balls, Dube swung through the line to send Suyash over long-on for six.
Rahane welcomed Andre Russell with a pulled six over deep mid-wicket and closed the 17th over with another pull through backward square leg for four, bringing up his fifty in 24 balls.
In the next over, Dube got his fifty in 20 balls with a magnificent pull-over deep square leg for six, before holing out to long-off on the very next ball. But Rahane continued to sizzle, bringing out a cheeky dab off Khejroliya to end the over well.
He then danced down the pitch twice to smash consecutive sixes off Chakaravarthy over long-on and then slapped a cut through cover for four to take 19 runs off the 19th over.
Ravindra Jadeja muscled two sixes off Khejroliya over deep mid-wicket in the final over, before holing out to deep backward square leg, as Chennai crossed 230-mark.
Brief scores:
Chennai Super Kings 235/4 in 20 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 71 not out, Devon Conway 56; Kulwant Khejroliya 2-44, Suyash Sharma 1-29) against Kolkata Knight Riders
–IANS
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