CHENNAI: WHEN the capacity crowd started filling the MA Chidambaram Stadium, they were looking forward to a performance from AR Rahman. By the time the floodlights took full effect, he wasn’t even the best Rahman on show.
That honour went to Mustafizur, whose dazzling array of cutters reduced Royal Challengers Bengaluru to 5/78. In the end, Bengaluru, who opted to bat first on a somewhat atypical Chennai surface (there wasn’t much spin and there was good carry), recovered to post 6/173 thanks to two back-end cameos from Dinesh Karthik and Anuj Rawat, whose sixth-wicket partnership added 95 runs.
When the fans headed back post midnight, they would have been left with mixed thoughts. While opening ceremonies are usually made for TV affairs, Tamil numbers were conspicuous by their absence. But they will have been happy with what they saw from a number of their players. They will also be happy with a big W first up. The six-wicket win has also meant that they preserve their long unbeaten record against Bangalore at this ground to 8-1 (the visitors’ only win here came in the inaugural edition in 2008).
That’s what the masses would have wanted when they started descending on this part of the city as early as 4.30 PM, nevermind the still harsh Summer sun. The first match of the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season was still three-and-a-half hours away but the place was already in various hues of Yellow, most of them sporting Dhoni’s replica jerseys.
The colour on some of the jerseys had faded; almost an ode to the shock Dhoni announcement on Thursday. But the end of an era brings with it the promise of a new dawn. Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has been with the franchise before Covid, has a rare opportunity to do something special. Skim through the IPL’s history and you will seldom see a non-India regular (Sanju Samson is one of the few exceptions) given the captaincy keys. If he can manage the transition well it will do him a world of good.
On opening night, he showed both facets of the leadership game. Considering he’s a young captain, there’s going to be an element of learning on the job. When Faf du Plessis tore into the bowling in the first four overs, it was a learning curve. Both Dhoni, who did his bit by setting the field for Maheesh Theekshana, and Ajinkya Rahane helped him during this phase. After watching Deepak Chahar travelling for four boundaries in the third over, Gaikwad replaced him with Rahman.
The man with so many cutters to his name wrested back the initiative for his captain. But Gaikwad played his part. The Bangladeshi pacer wanted third-man inside the circle and the man at point manning the ropes. Gaikwad listened to the pacer so he stationed Rachin Ravindra in the deep. Three balls later, the Kiwi completed a tumbling catch.
It was one of those cutters and Du Plessis didn’t get the necessary purchase on the stroke. Three balls later, the Fizz accounted for another as Rajat Patidar went back for a three-ball zero. Apart from bowling his cutters, Rahman can be deceptively quick when he wants to be. Patidar ended up edging it to Dhoni.
With Du Plessis out of the way, Gaikwad brought Chahar back. He was rewarded almost straight away as Glenn Maxwell was dismissed for a one-baller. Seven balls, one run, three wickets. These are the sort of moments a young captain needs to immediately feel at home. The crowd who had been subdued till then — they weren’t best pleased when Hindi songs blared through the speakers — belatedly found their voice. The defending champions had lift-off.
The thing with Rahman is he can be a tricky customer at the best of times. So tricky he was called the Murali-Fizur during his time with Rajasthan Royals. Gaikwad, happy to bring him back in the middle phase rather than preserve him for the end, gave him the ball in the 12th over. Virat Kohli scratched around before falling victim to the pacer. Then, he produced a fast-ish leg-break that deceived Cameron Green.
On Monday while playing the third ODI against Sri Lanka, the pacer was stretchered off the field. With Matheesha Pathirana, the franchise’s designated death overs specialist, already out with an injury (the Sri Lankan is expected to feature soon) — this was bad news. But a case of severe cramps was never going to keep him out for long. Less than 100 hours after landing in the city, he left his mark.