3 big positives for CSK after win over RCB in IPL 2023

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) rose to third spot in the IPL 2023 points table after a nervy eight-run win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday, April 17.

The Men in Yellow were on the brink of defeat despite posting 226 on the board after being put into bat first by Faf du Plessis. CSK's poor fielding, coupled with RCB's relentless hitting, almost handed the team their second defeat on the trot.

However, the extra cushion of runs and some exceptional death bowling helped CSK secure a narrow win away from home.

While CSK had their low moments after Ruturaj Gaikwad's early dismissal to regulation catches being dropped, there were a few aspects where the side shone through, giving them confidence for the remainder of the tournament.

On that note, here are three big positives for CSK in their win over RCB.

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#1 Young guns handling pressure well in the death overs

CSK were put under the pump after the initial overs, with Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell at their imperious best. While the spinners brought Chennai back into the game, they still had the tricky prospect of defending the last set of runs at the Chinnswamy, which has never been kind to the bowlers.

The pace duo of Tushar Deshpande and Matheesa Pathirana were tasked with defending 46 runs off the last four overs. RCB brought down the equation to 36 required from 20 balls before Deshpande struck with the wicket of Dinesh Karthik.

The 18th over was arguably the most important one given how the contest ended. Pathirana, who conceded 28 runs in his first two overs, returned to the bowling attack and gave away only four runs. He also bowled the final over with conviction after Deshpande had left him 19 runs to defend.

The Sri Lankan pacer varied his pace, altered the line and length, and even executed the yorker to perfection under pressure to seal CSK's triumph.

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#2 Batting in the middle overs

MS Dhoni lamented the batters' approach in the middle overs following their narrow against the Rajasthan Royals (RR). But the CSK batters went on to make amends by capitalizing on RCB's poor bowling in the middle overs.

The likes of Devon Conway. Shivam Dube, Ambati Rayudu, and Moeen Ali all showed intent, and the importance of posting a mammoth score in the batting paradise was not lost on them. CSK did not spare any bowlers in the middle phase of the innings and they

Each aforementioned batter had a strike rate exceeding 184 and the extra cushion of runs helped the bowlers overcome the dew factor and the general run-chase advantage.

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#3 One of the openers continued to anchor the innings

So far this season, the Men in Yellow have avoided losing both openers inside the powerplay and that is a huge positive to have considering the advantages that a set batter or a reliable anchor brings to the table.

While the openers have been slightly inconsistent, it is almost unsaid understanding that one of them will go on to play a big knock and assist the middle order. Devon Conway once again stood up to play a match-winning knock of 83 off 45 deliveries against RCB.

While teams like Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Delhi Capitals (DC) are struggling with their opening combination, CSK have been blessed on that front with both their opening batters making their presence felt among the top ten run-getters in the tournament so far.

A special mention also goes to fielding in the death overs. They had a forgettable outing as a fielding unit following dropped catches by MS Dhoni, Maheesh Theeksana, and Ruturaj Gaikwad. The fielding mishap by Moeen Ali was also a glaring error not expected from CSK.

After several such instances, even a regulation catch could prove to be overwhelming. But that was not the case as the fielders took some crucial catches towards the end of the contest, which if dropped, would have changed the outcome of the game.

Will CSK make it to the IPL 2023 playoffs? Let us know what you think.