Former South Africa cricketer and fielding legend Jonty Rhodes took to X to show his amazement with Ajinkya Rahane’s acrobatic catch during the Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL 2024 opener on March 22.
The current LSG fielding coach was left stunned with Rahane making an impressive effort at the boundary line to dismiss RCB batter Virat Kohli on 21 off 20 balls.
In his post, Rhodes worded-out his appreciation for the ecstatic effort by Rahane along with an animated picture of himself.
“Wow, how was that awareness by @ajinkyarahane88 on the boundary for @ChennaiIPL to get rid of @imVkohli”, Rhodes’ post read.
How did the CSK vs RCB clash unfold?
Kohli’s dismissal by CSK’s Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman became a pivotal point in the match, which ultimately led to them recording their first win of the IPL 2024 season. After winning the toss and opting to bat first, RCB got off to a rapid start with their skipper Faf du Plessis attacking the ball from the very start. However, a brilliant spell by Mustafizur brought the home side back into the game. After the dismissal of Du Plessis on 35 off 23 balls, none of the top-order RCB batters were able to stand their ground at the MA Chidambaram stadium, which saw multiple wickets fall in quick succession.
Mustafizuer ended his stint with a phenomenal 29/4 figures, which included several big wickets, like Du Plessis, Rajat Patidar, Kohli and Cameron Green. Despite their call to bat first, RCB could only set a target of 174 for CSK. It was only due to composed innings by Anuj Rawat and Dinesh Karthik which took RCB to the total, which seemed rather difficult at a certain point of the game.
Powerful innings by CSK batters like Rachin Ravindra, Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja, saw the home side achieve the target with ease. Being one of the most experienced players in the side, Rahane’s impact in the match was crucial for his side, with both the bat and his work on the field.
Rahane scored 27 off 19 balls with the bat, which added up was a much-needed cameo for the CSK side in the run chase. CSK’s win against RCB by 6 wickets on March 22, only extended the five-time champions’ dominant record against their South Indian rivals as they haven’t lost at the Chepauk to RCB since 2008.
RCB’s Mayank Dagar blunder vs CSK: Karthik explains after Gavaskar left baffled