Cricket

Rachin, Dube and CSK’s quicks dispatch the Titans

Chennai Super Kings

For the second game running, Chepauk offered no wickets to the home team’s spinners. Instead, it was the fast bowlers led by Deepak Chahar (2 for 28) and Tushar Deshpande (2 for 21) who did all the damage. The times, they are a’changin.

Sameer Rizvi hit his first ball in the IPL for six, off Rashid Khan•BCCI

Rizvi rises

At the fall of Dube’s wicket, with less than two overs to go, Chepauk might have expected Dhoni to stride out to the middle. The camera certainly did. It kept panning to him in the dressing room.

Instead, it was 20-year old Rizvi who stepped up. And he swept the first ball that he faced in the IPL for six. That it happened to be Rashid bowling and that he hit him for another six – this one a bit of a mis-hit as he charged out of his crease and swung himself almost off his feet – only added to the occasion. If this is the new CSK, there’s going to be a few more special years ahead.

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