Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja admitted that the 21 runs which he scored in the 19th over were the match-winning for his team against Kolkata Knight Riders as they won by two wickets at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Jadeja was able to hit the ground running as he took the attack against Prasidh Krishna in the penultimate over.
Jadeja scored two sixes and as many fours against Krishna and turned the match on its head to help CSK get their third win of the second phase of IPL 2021 and reclaim the top position in the points table.
Furthermore, Jadeja had also got the big wicket of Rahul Tripathi, who had scored a crucial knock of 45 runs for Kolkata Knight Riders. The left-arm spinner conceded only 21 runs in his quota of four overs and thus he was awarded the Player of the match. Jadeja feels his cameo with the bat was more crucial for his team than the wicket he took.
Meanwhile, Jadeja also admitted that it is not easy to switch from the Test format to the T20 version as he was in England for five months.
Ravindra Jadeja said while talking in the post-match presentation, “It is difficult. You have been playing Test cricket for five months and suddenly you have to come and play white-ball cricket. It was difficult. In the nets also I was working my bat swing. So I was thinking whatever I have done in the nets I have to repeat in the match. The runs I got in the second last over was more important than the wicket because that was match-winning for us. Everybody does their team role. Rutu, Faf, they gave us a good start, That’s what you need as a team, you need to be collected as a team. I was just backing my strength. I knew he had fine leg and square leg up, so he was going to bowl a wide yorker or a slower ball. So I was waiting for that and he bowled a slower length ball and I was ready, luckily I connected off the middle of the bat and we are on the winning side today”.
Chennai Super Kings are coming with a collective performance and they are reaping the rewards. Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad once again provided a perfect start to the team as they added 74 runs for the opening alliance.
Chennai will aim to continue the good show and they have almost qualified for the playoff stages with their eighth win of the season. The MS Dhoni-led team will next face Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on 30th September.
