Ravindra Jadeja was helped by a last-ball no-ball from RP Singh as Chennai Super Kings defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore in a last-ball thriller at Chepauk.
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The battle between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore is dubbed the ‘Kaveri Derby’. It is the clash between Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni. The historic rivalry between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over the Kaveri water crisis has made this rivalry a marquee one in the IPL. In the past, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings had an even rivalry. In 2008, CSK and RCB both breached their opponents’ fortress. RCB held the edge in their rivalry in 2009. But, from 2010 onwards, Chennai Super Kings dominated RCB.
MS Dhoni’s side won the 2010 and 2011 IPL titles. In the 2011 IPL final, they denied Royal Challengers Bangalore their maiden title with a clinical display. It was during IPL 2012 that fans saw a brilliant contest between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk. Chris Gayle’s powerful assault had seen Royal Challengers Bangalore post a total in excess of 200. Faf du Plessis smashed an aggressive fifty and a vital cameo from MS Dhoni saw Chennai Super Kings needing 15 from the last over. Dwayne Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja took CSK over the line in a match fitting their rivalry. However, one year later, CSK and RCB would play out another classic.
The match witnessed one of the most unusual endings in cricket. It gave birth to the legend of ‘Sir’. Ravindra Jadeja was been compared to legendary players and film stars for the swag with which he helped them win the match.
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MS Dhoni chose to bowl and they immediately struck by removing the dangerous Chris Gayle for 4. Mayank Agarwal and Virat Kohli put up a strong fight and stitched a partnership that steadied the ship. But, Agarwal fell for 24 with R Ashwin getting the wicket. However, it was the partnership between Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers that changed the entire complexion of the match.
De Villiers was in fine form, scoring at a strike rate of 200. Kohli reached his fifty and he was soon followed by De Villiers. Although RCB lost wickets in the death overs, they still managed to reach 165/6. It was a decent total on a pitch that was starting to become sluggish.
In response, Chennai Super Kings started badly by losing Murali Vijay and Michael Hussey cheaply. But, Suresh Raina and S Badrinath steadied the ship with a confident stand. When Raina and Badrinath fell in quick succession, Chennai Super Kings were behind the asking rate. In stepped MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja and they put on a stand that changed the match.
MS Dhoni had shown his intentions with a six off RP Singh to get going. In the 17th over bowled by Ravi Rampaul, Dhoni launched a six and a four to get the, within striking distance. But, Rampaul got the wicket of Dhoni and the pressure was back on Chennai Super Kings. When Dwayne Bravo hit a six, the pendulum swung towards CSK. But, once Rampaul got rid of Bravo, all hopes rested on Jadeja. With 16 runs needed off the last over, it was a sense of deja-vu for many fans. The memories of 2012 clash began resonating around Chepauk.
RP Singh was bowling the final over but Jadeja wasted no time. He smashed a four and then hit a big six down the ground as the equation boiled down to six runs off four balls. After three good balls from RP Singh that yielded just four runs, Chennai Super Kings needed two runs off one ball. RP Singh bowled a short ball outside off. Jadeja slashed hard and the catch was taken at third man. It seemed RCB had breached Chepauk after five years.
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But, to their horror, they had not. Umpire Anil Chaudhary signaled a no-ball. Replays showed that RP Singh had overstepped in a big way. The no-ball plus the single meant Chennai Super Kings had won the contest by four wickets in a dramatic way.
Having scored two runs without a ball being counted, the legend of Jadeja took off. His new nickname of ‘Sir’ became viral on the internet. The way how he won the match made Jadeja the star of Chennai. There was special praise for Umpire Anil Chaudhary. In such an intense pressure situation, he had made the right decision.
RCB never actually recovered from the dual horrors of Chepauk. Chennai Super Kings now held a decisive edge in the rivalry. For the next couple of years, Dhoni would always get the better of Kohli.
