MUMBAI, India, CMC – Veteran all-rounder Dwayne Bravo had little impact but his Chennai Super Kings finally ended their winless slump, beating Royal Challengers Bangalore by 23 runs in the Indian Premier League here yesterday.
The 38-year-old finished with one for 42 from four overs as CSK held off a late surge from RCB to limit them in a difficult run chase.
Struggling for their first points after defeats in their first four matches of the new season, CSK used a strong batting effort, posting 216 for four off their 20 overs and RCB came up short at 193 for nine in reply.
CSK’s victory left Kieron Pollard’s Mumbai Indians as the only side without a win for the campaign, the five-time champions having also lost their opening four matches to lie bottom of the ten-team league.
Sent in, CSK were powered by half-centuries from Shivam Dube (95 not out) and Robin Uthappa (88), the pair adding 165 for the third wicket to pull the innings around from 36 for two in the seventh over.
Uthappa faced 50 deliveries and struck four fours and nine sixes while left-hander Dube lashed five fours and eight sixes in a 46-ball thriller.
In reply, RCB slumped to 50 for four in the seventh over, 21-year-old off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana (4-33) striking twice to leave the run chase in trouble.
Shahbaz Ahmed belted 41 off 27 deliveries and Suyash Prabhudessai thrashed an 18-ball 34, the pair posting 60 for the fifth wicket to revive RCB’s fortunes.
However, Theekshana returned to remove both in successive overs as four wickets went down for 36 runs in quick time.
Dinesh Karthik counter-attacked with 34 from 14 deliveries, smashing two fours and three sixes in putting on 25 for the ninth wicket with Mohammed Siraj (14 not out).
Bravo’s solitary intervention in the game came when he ended Karthik’s threat, having the veteran right-hander holing out to deep mid-wicket in the 18th over.
