IPL 2018: Similarities between CSK's 208/5 and 205/5 against RCB(2012) and KKR(2018) respectively

#4 Newly-recruited overseas batsman scoring a half-century

Sam Billings score his first IPL half-century (Source: iplt20.com)

2012:

Faf du Plessis, playing his fourth match for CSK, made a superb half-century scoring 71 runs off 46 deliveries before getting caught in the fifteenth over. Even though his strike rate was a bit less than the required rate, it was his half-century that held the innings together. He batted deep into the innings and provided the required support for the other Chennai batsmen to bat around him to successfully chase the target.

2018:

Sam Billings, playing his first game, played a memorable inning on his CSK debut. In the middle overs, even Dhoni wasn't able to up the ante and it was Billings who kept CSK alive in the game by scoring 56 off just 23 balls. Just like du Plessis, Billings could not finish the innings and got out in the penultimate over of the match.

Coincidently, Faf du Plessis and Sam Billings received their first IPL man of the match awards.