A optimistic poster in the stands read, “Return of Captain Cool,” as MS Dhoni stood watch over Varun Chakaravarthy. For an instant, the entire town of Chepauk had faith in a fantastical resurgence, a season that had been in decline.
It ended up being a return to forget instead. For Dhoni.
For his men. And, most tragically, for the Chepauk supporters. They had never seen such a terrible performance in their entire lives. a losing run of five games. A house fortress that was destroyed. Stunned hush took the place of the customary cacophony.
Despite the fact that CSK had just suffered four straight losses, this game was much anticipated. Unexpectedly, their favourite celebrity returned to the spotlight at the age of 43. CSK won the toss as well. CSK benefited greatly from KKR’s decision to bowl since the surface was predicted to slow down and they eventually had an opportunity to bat first and set the terms after numerous chase failures. The franchise has also been eagerly awaiting Anshul Kamboj’s debut.
But once things got going, it was all KKR. Moeen Ali, a former member of the yellow camp, made the first incision and had an instant impact after taking Devon Conway out. For the second time in CSK’s history, Moeen bowled a wicket-maiden. After Ruturaj Gaikwad’s injury, Rahul Tripathi had a second chance to make an impact for his new team, and the setting was prepared for him to do so. However, the other opener went back to the pavilion before he could even start his account.
CSK was crawling at 18/2 after five overs, well on their way to rewriting the season’s worst PowerPlay score, which, predictably, already belonged to them.
At this point, a few fans could be heard begging for bounds with the words “dei adinga da” (hey please hit). Vijay Shankar gave a quick reply, pushing the run-rate above six with a few of hits. However, that was the night’s last spark.
Tripathi had an extremely difficult innings. Before being dropped from the starting lineup, his problems with pace with the new ball were apparent. But this was Tripathi’s chance to get back to his comfort zone against a three-man spin attack, batting at No. 3 with Harshit Rana as the only true speed danger. However, he appeared utterly unrhythmic, and Sunil Narine broke the charade by attacking his defence. As a result, CSK had to move R Ashwin up the order to deal with spin. The veteran’s stay lasted seven balls and yielded a single run, adding insult to injury after criticism for his lacklustre ball-handling performances.
But the worst was not yet over.
After Ravindra Jadeja was dismissed, CSK decided to use their impact sub in an attempt to salvage their innings. Another Indian hitter having a rough season, Deepak Hooda, entered. He was out for a duck after four balls.
The greatest applause of the evening, followed by a slip and a forward short leg, greeted Dhoni as he left the pitch at 72 for 7. There was more to this than nostalgia. It was faith. a last-ditch effort to have the talisman write a change. The odds were stacked, however, with Narine and Chakaravarthy still holding overs. Historically exposed to this pair, Dhoni collapsed nearly instantly. Narine’s record against him was already impressive.
Quiet. Complete quiet.
There were no further entreaties to be made after that. Basically, the writing was on the wall. Then came one undesired record after another. Over the course of their innings, CSK only managed one six. In the 1.1 overs of their chase, KKR hit more. In the end, the holders cleared the ropes ten times, completing the demolition work with 59 balls remaining in the chase.
Five losses in a row. At home, three of them. CSK’s campaign seemed like it was moving into uncharted territory—irrelevance—for the first time in its history. And a hopeful evening turned into a gloomy chapter in CSK’s otherwise legendary past.
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