IPL 2019: Match 1, CSK vs RCB - Chennai Super Kings Player Ratings

The much awaited and highly anticipated 2019 edition of the Indian Premier League finally went underway. Two marquee sides, defending champions Chennai Super Kings, and the crowd favourites Royal Challengers Bangalore locked horns in the season opener in Chennai. The old CSK vs RCB rivalry promised to be great and the prospect of witnessing MS Dhoni going against Virat Kohli made it an enticing contest on board.

However, as the things panned out in the game, it was an anti-climax that was played out. The fans expected a run fest, but the sluggish track ensured that the cumulative total of the two sides did not cross the 150-mark in the match. Having won the toss, an unsure MS Dhoni opted to field first. He surprised all by picking up just three overseas players. The CSK bowling was up to the mark with Harbhajan Singh picking up three top wickets in his opening spell. He was joined by Imran Tahir and Ravindra Jadeja in making a mockery of the RCB batting.

The CSK spinners accounted for 8 wickets in the match as RCB bundled out for a paltry 70. The run chase was supposed to be a cakewalk but the hosts had a tough time chasing it down. They lost Shane Watson cheaply, and Suresh Raina failed to get going either. But 70 was a little too less for the visitors to defend. They did show some fight. The Super Kings chased the total in just under 18 overs with 7 wickets in their bank to register the first win of the season.

Here are the CSK Player Ratings for the IPL 2019 season opener:

Ambati Rayudu – 6/10

Ambati Rayudu toiled hard with the bat to get going on a track that offered almost nothing for the batters. He batted for almost 15 overs, ticking the scorecard for the Men in Yellow. He faced 42 deliveries for his 28 hard earned runs that included a six and two fours. It was the rush of blood from his side that saw him chop one on the stumps with just about 10 runs needed to win.

Shane Watson – 1/10

Shane Watson was one of the three overseas players CSK fielded in the game. It was a tricky surface to bat on, the struggle was evident when Watson walked out to bat in the run chase. Having played 10 balls, he failed to get a run to his name. He was cleaned up by Yuzvendra Chahal delivery for a duck. With Faf du Plessis warming the bench, the pressure would be on Watson to come good in the coming fixtures.

Suresh Raina – 5/10

Suresh Raina had a mini milestone achieved during the course of the game. The southpaw became the first cricketer to score 5000 runs in the history of the IPL. Raina, however, failed to get going after getting a decent start in the game. He scored 19 off 21 before Moeen Ali sent him packing in the run chase.

MS Dhoni – 7/10

Skipper MS Dhoni had the midas touch with his captaincy on the day. Every decision he made on the field yielded results. His decision to bowl out Deepak Chahar and Harbhajan Singh reaped rich dividends. The DRS call was on the money too. He shuffled his troops well and looked on the right mark with the captaincy hat. Also, he took a brilliant catch off the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja to dismiss Colin de Grandhomme.

Kedar Jadhav – 7/10

Kedar Jadhav walked in to bat at number four in the match. It was expected that MS Dhoni would promote himself to the batting position, but with a few runs to play with, the skipper perhaps thought it was a greater idea to let the other batters get some game time. Jadhav played decently well to keep the strike rotating. Jadhav remained unbeaten on 13 off 19 deliveries with a four to his name.

Ravindra Jadeja – 9/10

Ravindra Jadeja had an excellent time in the middle during the match. The veteran all-rounder was a live wire on the field. He took two great catches on the mid-wicket fence to get rid of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. Later in the innings, he was in top form with the ball as well. He returned with figures of 4-1-15-2. He got the wickets of Colin de Grandhomme and Umesh Yadav. With the bat, Jadeja struggled but managed to help his side get over the line eventually.

Dwayne Bravo – 7/10

Dwayne Bravo got his opportunity to bowl in the match in the 18th over with RCB being 9 down with 70 runs on the board. The CSK veteran took just one delivery to take the final wicket, that of the opener Parthiv Patel, to cap off the innings. His services with the bat were not needed in the game.

Deepak Chahar – 8/10

Deepak Chahar was handed the new ball in the match and the Rajasthani pacer bowled a very economical spell. Albeit he failed to pick wickets in his spell, he ensured that he did not let the RCB batters get any relief at the crease. It was Chahar who choked the run flow with his gentle outswingers, while Harbhajan Singh picked wickets at the other end. Chahar returned with figures of 0/17 in his four overs.

Harbhajan Singh – 9.5/10

Harbhajan Singh was perhaps the wrecker-in-chief in the bowling department. The veteran offie, who is playing his second season for CSK, was asked to bowl in the power play and he obliged duly. He bowled his four overs on a trot and returned with figures of 3/20 in his spell. He took the big wicket of Virat Kohli early on in the innings and then backed it up with crucial picks of Moeen Ali and AB De Villiers.

Shardul Thakur – Not Assigned

Shardul Thakur did not have a lot to do in this game. With the wickets of the RCB lineup succumbing to spinners, the services of Shardul were not needed with the ball.

Imran Tahir – 8.5/10

Imran Tahir had a great beginning to the season as well. He had a horrid start in the game as he dropped a sitter that flew from the bat of AB de Villiers. Much to his delight, everything else came his way in the match thereafter. He was the most economical bowler in the match, conceding just 9 runs in his 4 overs that included a maiden as well. He picked up three wickets and ran through the RCB tail.

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