After the much-needed victory against the Lucknow Super Giants during the ongoing IPL on April 14, Shivam Dube, the all-rounder for CSK, took a mocking shot at the RCB fans. The match was a nail-biter, well into the late hours in Lucknow, and was a perfect example of the ruckus CSK and RCB have been creating this IPL season.
Dube’s words came amidst banter among both former and current IPL cricketers over the course of the tournament, but his comments carried more weight after he had played his part in helping CSK to a five-wicket victory over the Lucknow Super Giants at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cricket Stadium. With four overs to go and 44 runs still needed, it was a dramatic atmosphere indeed, but that’s when MS Dhoni decided to enter, smashing a few boundaries that made it less daunting for CSK, taking the target down to 24 runs in two overs.
Shivam Dube hit a boundary and a six in the 19th over, and MS Dhoni ended it with another four. For the final over, Dube, with plenty of confidence, blasted the winning shot and sealed the match for CSK in style.
On his return toward the dressing room, he faced some RCB-shouting fans representing their age-old rivals. Dube, unable to hide a mischievous grin, pointed at the five stars on his jersey. Mockingly, he reminded them that his team had already won five championships while RCB was still chasing its first one.
This went viral on social media, and fans really enjoyed the jokey roast. During this pivotal match, Dube scored a respectable 43 off 37, but MS Dhoni eclipsed him with an incredible 26 off 11 to scoop the Player of the Match award. Others who contributed to CSK’s victory included Ravindra Jadeja and Matheesha Pathirana.
Sadly, after the victory, CSK was only able to register its second victory among the seven contests so far this season. The team had been passing through a trough leading them to the bottom of the points table and now sets forth to battle against their ardent rivals, the Mumbai Indians, this upcoming Sunday. RCB, meanwhile, has had a reasonable season so far, winning four matches from a total of six and comfortably being slotted at number three in the standings. They will next face the Punjab Kings on April 18.
Chennai Super Kings may have been success-ridden under MS Dhoni with five titles, while RCB is still trying for that much-desired trophy. This year might be the one with the new captain, Rajat Patidar, and the excellent performances from the team. The rest, as they say, is history. Such has been the excitement of this IPL season, and the fans sure do have more entertaining matches ahead!
