New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra hit an explosive 46 and took three catches to help holders Chennai Super Kings to their second straight IPL win with a 63-run thrashing of Gujarat Titans on Wednesday.
The left-handed Ravindra, in his debut IPL season, made his runs off 20 balls while captain Ruturaj Gaikwad also hit 46 as Chennai posted 206-6 at their home MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Seam bowlers Mustafizur Rahman, Deepak Chahar and Tushar Deshpande took two wickets each to help restrict Gujarat, led by Shubman Gill, to 143-8 and go down to their biggest IPL loss by runs.
Chennai skipper Gaikwad said: “Today’s game was near to perfect game, in the sense of batting-bowling-fielding, all three departments. Against a team like Gujarat, we had to produce this kind of performance (100+ runs in first 10 overs). In Chennai, when you are not sure how the wicket will be, you must bat well irrespective of when you’re batting. Having wickets in the last 10 overs really helps here.”
He added: “Personally, I thought Rachin batted and put us in the game. Jinx and Shivam played good roles. Not to forget our youngster Rizvi as well. When he (Dube) came here the management worked with him personally, Mahi bhai (Dhoni) worked with him personally. He knows what role he is playing and which bowler to take on. A big plus for us. Great effort from Jinx even in the last game and this game.”
Chennai’s Shivam Dube top-scored with his 51 off 23 deliveries to boost the total after Ravindra and Gaikwad gave the team a quick start in their opening stand of 62.
Old warhorse MS Dhoni shocked his fans ahead of the T20 tournament when he passed on the Chennai captaincy to Gaikwad after he had led the team to its fifth IPL title last year.
Gaikwad, who led the team to a win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL opener last week, survived an early reprieve on one and made use of the spill.
The left-handed Ravindra remained defiant and clubbed three sixes and six fours.
Gujarat’s Afghanistan spin wizard Rashid Khan denied Ravindra his fifty as the leg-spinner had the batsman stumped while Gaikwad fell caught behind off Australia’s Spencer Johnson.
Dube reached his fifty in 22 balls before he fell in the 19th over to Rashid, who took two wickets but leaked 49 runs. Dube, the Player of the Match, said: “This franchise is something different from all others. They are giving me the freedom. They want me to do better and I also want to win some matches. I know they will bowl me some short balls and I’m ready for that. They want me to do the same thing I did today. They want me to score with a higher strike-rate and that is what I am doing.”
Gujarat, who won a title in their debut IPL season in 2022, were never in the chase after they lost Gill lbw off Chahar.
Gill took charge of the team and won his opening match on Sunday after Hardik Pandya switched to Mumbai Indians for another captain’s role.
The final of the lucrative T20 tournament will be played in Chennai on May 26.

BRIEF SCORES
Chennai Super Kings 206 for 6 (Dube 51, Ravindra 46) beat Gujarat Titans 143 for 8 (Sudharsan 37, Chahar 2-28, Deshpande 2-21) by 63 runs.