Chennai Super Kings ended their four-match losing streak in the IPL on Tuesday defeating Royal Challengers Bangalore by 23 runs at the DY Patil Stadium.
Earning their first points of the season, the reigning champions put up a clinical performance that proved just how good they can be with both bat and ball in hand.
Robin Uthappa and Shivam Dube were the stars of the show, helping to set a 217 run target for the Challengers while also recording the second-highest number of sixes hit as a partnership in IPL history.
Uthappa hit a whopping nine sixes on his way to a well-struck 88, before being caught by Virat Kohli at deep mid-wicket.
Dube followed to go 95 runs not-out from 46 balls, earning his highest ever run tally in the IPL as well as the player of the match award.
Chennai finished their innings losing just four wickets and impressed again in the field, keeping Faf du Plessis’ side to 193/4.
Off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana was the pick of the bowlers, taking the captain’s wicket after just two overs, before also dismissing Anuj Rawat, Suyash Prabhudessai and Shahbaz Ahmed to go 4/33.
But he wasn’t the only bowler who impressed for the reigning champions, with their captain, Ravindra Jadeja, also taking a trio of wickets during the match.
Bangalore, who currently sit fifth in the IPL ladder, will now miss out on going top of the table but did put up a good run chase, despite losing Kohli who was caught at backward square leg.
Middle-order batsmen Ahmed and Prabhudessai combined to produce a solid partnership of 60, with Ahmed hitting 41 runs before being bowled out by Theekshana.
But it was Dube who was the player of the match, smashing Bangalore for eight sixes and five fours during his 73-minute spell at the crease.
It was a sublime performance for the 28-year-old, who also showed his ruthless power, hammering a ball high into the night sky against his former team and no less against fast bowler Josh Hazelwood.
Take a look at the strike in the highlights from Sky Sports Cricket below…
The defending champions will now take a five-day break before they look to end Gujarat Titans’ three-match winning streak at the Maharashtra Cricket Stadium in Pune on Sunday.
