IPL 2021: CSK vs RR: Dhoni, the milestone man

Chennai used every bit of their batting depth to put up 188 against Rajasthan. The total was in keeping with the high scores the venue has seen thus far in IPL 2021.

The pitch holds up well for batting in the second essay at the Wankhede and Rajasthan perhaps fancied their chances going into the run chase.

Partnerships were going to be vital. Sadly though, they were few and far between.

Only Jos Buttler 49 (35) managed to take the sword to Chennai. Their 45-run loss on the night leaves them with more questions than answers.

Chennai, on the other hand, was smiling all the way back to the dressing room and ticking plenty of boxes in the record books.

All the records that matter

Dhoni, the first-ever…

On 19th April 2021, Dhoni became the first-ever player to lead 200 T20 games for a single team. Incidentally, he captained his first-ever game for Chennai on 19th April (2008).

Dhoni, milestones and 18 runs

MS Dhoni scored precisely 18 runs in his 100th match as CSK skipper. Years later in his 200th match as captain, he scored 18.

The Dhoni - Sakariya connect

Chetan Sakariya dismissed Dhoni on the night at Wankhede.

Interestingly, the pacer was just 6 years of age when MS Dhoni made his India debut in 2004.

Nobody crossed 40…

Chennai scored 188 against Rajasthan, yet not a single batsman crossed 40 runs.

This has happened twice before in the IPL – when Mumbai scored 184 vs Pune in 2017 and when Deccan Chargers scored 182 against Delhi in 2008.

The 999 connect

When Faf du Plessis was dismissed against Rajasthan, he was out on 5,999 T20 runs. Incidentally, on the previous night, when KL Rahul got out, he was on 4,999 T20 runs.

A No.9 with 6K runs

Against Rajasthan, Dwayne Bravo batted at No.9 for Chennai. Come to think of it, he's no bunny with the bat and has over 6,000 T20 runs. Such is the astonishing batting depth of Chennai.

Chennai's best off-spinner?

Moeen Al's bowling figures of 3/7 on the night against Rajasthan turned out to the best bowling figures by a Chennai off-spinner in IPL.

Spinners rule…

Moeen Ali and Ravindra Jadeja joined hands against Rajasthan and picked up five wickets together. This is now the second-best haul by a spinner in an IPL game at the Wankhede. In 2012, Kolkata's spinners had picked up 6 wickets against hosts Mumbai.

Chennai break the Wankhede jinx

Going into the game against Rajasthan, Chennai perhaps realised that they had never won a match when batting first at the Wankhede in three previous attempts.

Also, off the 9 previous instances that they'd batted first, they had won just two games.

They have now well and truly turned a corner.

With inputs from @kaustats, @CricCrazyJohns, @SampathStats, @statanalyst