Ajinkya Rahane stole the show in Chennai Super Kings‘ (CSK) most recent match against Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2023. In doing so, he also smashed the fastest 50 this season, only taking 19 balls to reach that landmark.
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Chasing a target of 158, CSK’s reliance on their openers seemed to have backfired as Devon Conway departed for a duck. Rahane came in at number 3 and took the driving seat.
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It was in the fourth over of the innings against Arshad Khan that he seemed to have changed gears. After smashing a 6 on the first ball, Rahane hit four consecutive boundaries. After four glorious and proper cricketing shots, the 34-year-old took a single to end the over with 23 runs.
Also read: MI vs CSK Match Report: Ajinkya Rahane And Ravindra Jadeja Star As Chennai Super Kings Thrash Mumbai Indians
In the next over, he hit two more fours and a six, taking him to the 50-run mark in just 19 balls. This is the fastest half-century of IPL 2023.
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This is also the joint second-fastest 50 in CSK history, with Moeen Ali doing so in 19 balls against Rajasthan Royals last season. The fastest 50 for the franchise was scored in 16 balls by Suresh Raina against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in 2014.
Also read: MI vs CSK: “Mahi Bhai Told Me To Prepare Well” – Ajinkya Rahane After His Blistering Knock Against Mumbai Indians
Ajinkya Rahane also bested MS Dhoni’s record of 50 in 20 balls, which the captain scored against Mumbai Indians in 2012, 11 years ago.
Ajinkya Rahane backs himself, and says he does not need to change his play style to succeed
After his sensational 61-off-37 helped CSK score an easy win against arch-rivals MI, Ajinkya Rahane claimed that he does not need to change his game to be successful again, he only needs to back his talents.
Rahane is an IPL veteran. Having been part of the tournament since its inception in 2008, he first burst onto the scene with Rajasthan Royals (RR) in 2012. He went on to captain the Jaipur-based franchise and even scored two centuries for them.
Now at CSK and out of the India National Cricket Team, Ajinkya needed to find his mojo back after a couple of silent seasons, which he did in his first IPL 2023 game against MI.
Speaking in the post-match press conference, the former Indian Test captain talked about his preparation and mindset, saying –
“Every player is different, their strengths are different. I don’t want to be someone else, I just want to be Ajinkya Rahane.” He added, “I know my strengths and my timings so I just want to back myself. It’s all about reminding myself that I can be Ajinkya Rahane and play like Ajinkya Rahane and as long as I can do that I’ll be fine.”
Also read: MI vs CSK: “We Did Not Capitalise On The Start We Got”- Rohit Sharma After Losing The Match Against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) In IPL 2023
Ajinkya Rahane and CSK will look to continue their form when they face RR in their next match on April 12.
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The post CSK vs RR: Ajinkya Rahane Smashes MS Dhoni’s 11-Year-Old Record In His Stormy Innings vs Mumbai Indians appeared first on CricketAddictor.
