CSK vs KKR: Shivam Dube's blitzkrieg helps CSK post fighting total on slow Chepauk surface

The exhilarating action continued in IPL 2023 as Chennai Super Kings hosted Kolkata Knight Riders in match No. 61 on Sunday, May 14, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. CSK captain MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first on a dry surface in Chennai. After a decent start with the bat, CSK were reeling at 66/3 after 9.3 overs when Shivam Dube joined Ambati Rayudu at the crease. 

Things got worse for CSK as Sunil Narine dismissed Rayudu and Moeen Ali in the eleventh over, leaving them at 72/5 after 11 overs. Seeing his team in disarray, Dube got set at the crease and played a valiant knock of 48* off 34 balls with the help of one four and three sixes in his innings.

Dube and Jadeja got involved in an important 68-run stand from 50 balls for the fifth wicket to help CSK post a fighting score of 144/6 in the first innings. Dube started his innings cautiously and was on five off eight deliveries before hitting Suyash Sharma for a six-over deep extra cover to get his innings going.

Following a six in the 12^th over, the duo played three quiet overs nudging the ball around for singles. Dube finally broke lose as he pulled Shardul Thakur for a four in the 16^th over and further took on Suyash Sharma in the 17^th over, clobbering him a maximum. Jadeja also got into the act and launched Sharma for a six in the same over as they looked to press on the accelerator with not many overs remaining in the game.

Sunil Narine picked two wickets for KKR

Dube further smashed Varun Chakravarthy for another six in the 18^th over, clearing the deep mid-wicket boundary with ease. The stand between Dube and Jadeja ended in the 20^th over as Jadeja got out to Vaibhav Arora. Dhoni walked to the crease in the 20th over and could only manage to score two off three balls as CSK finished the innings on 144/6. 

Dube played a brilliant knock of 48* (34) on a tough track and once again took his team out of trouble. For KKR, Sunil Narine (2/15) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/36) picked two wickets each.

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