5 Most Thrilling Wins For CSK While Chasing

#4 Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore(2013) MOM: Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja

Chennai Super Kings won this thriller out of nowhere due to the strong middle order performances and some nerve towards the end. Virat Kohli's great match was ruined when Ravindra Jadeja finished off the match with 1 ball to spare.

Dhoni won the toss and elected to field first. Chris Morris removed the dangerous Chris Gayle and Ashwin got Mayank Agarwal's wicket and were looking to put pressure on RCB. Virat Kohli and ABD, however, had different plans. The duo put on an 80 run stand and Virat Kohli departed after scoring a steady knock of 58 runs off 47 balls when the team's score was 133/3.

RCB lost a flurry of wickets with no middle order batsman performing but ABD, who was there till the end and finished off with a brilliant knock of 64 runs off just 32 balls with a Strike Rate of 200. He got out on the last ball. RCB finished with 165/6, a par score which the CSK was looking to chase with comfort.

It was however not to be as CSK lost Vijay early to Ravi Rampaul and Mike Hussey who struggled to score 6 runs off 16 balls to Vinay Kumar. Suresh Raina and Subramaniam Badrinath put on a 50 run partnership before Raina got out unexpectedly scoring 30 off 22 balls leaving Chennai at 66/3. Captain Cool MSD walked out to the middle joining Badrinath and started taking singles and rotating strike but Syed Mohammed chipped in with yet another scalp after he picked up the crucial wicket of Badrinath who departed after scoring 34 off 29 balls.

Ravindra Jadeja, the million dollar man walked out to join his captain and CSK were looking to turn this around. With some good running, apt rotation of strike and big hitting CSK managed to reach 125/4 at the end of 17 overs. The RCB bowlers had bowled really well till then and had controlled the middle period. Vinay Kumar's 18th over gave away only 1 boundary but still yielded 12 runs thanks to the brilliant running from Dhoni and Jadeja. CSK required 29 off 12 deliveries and this looked achievable especially when Dhoni was going good.

Ravi Rampaul bowled the 19th and picked up the crucial wicket of MSD in the very first ball leaving the CSK fans shocked and their own fans celebrating. The advantage certainly seemed to be with RCB but after Rampaul bowled a wide to DJ Bravo, after which Bravo hit Rampaul for a six and that reduced the equation to 22 off 10 balls. Rampaul hit back 2 balls later trapping Bravo for LBW. Chris Morris finished the over with 4 runs of the last 2 balls leaving CSK to score 16 runs off the last over to win. Ravi Rampaul finished off with impressive figures of 3 for 31 in his 4 overs.

Jadeja got a boundary in the first ball when he attempted a wild heave off RP Singh's final over and edged the ball which went past the third man for a boundary. He hit the very next ball down the ground for a six and CSK required just 6 runs off 4 balls. Singh pulled things back miraculously as CSK scored 4 runs off the next 3 balls leaving them 2 to score off the last ball. Virat Kohli made a few changes in the field and Jadeja made himself ready to face the ball as CSK's fans held their breath in anticipation.

Jadeja played an uppercut to RP Singh's short off a length delivery and hit it straight to the fielder at third man but RCB's joy was short-lived as the bowler had overstepped and the CSK batsmen had crossed over and hence won an absolute nail-biter. Ravindra Jadeja was adjudged the man of the match for his exemplary performance and composure and ABD's and Virat's innings ended in vain as CSK pulled off yet another thrilling victory.