Highest score in IPL without a 40+ innings

After a lacklustre performance in the first game, Chennai Super Kings have come roaring back in the tournament with two emphatic wins. All their three games so far have been one-sided. The good thing for them is to come out on top in two of those.

Chennai’s 45 run victory over Rajasthan included a few records unscaled before-

1.    Highest score without a 40+ Innings

If you thought a total of 188 in a T20 game would need a big innings, think again. The highest score from a Chennai batsman in their game against Rajasthan was Faf du Plessis' 17-ball 33. This is the highest score in IPL without involving a contribution of 40 or more runs from a bastman

2.    Most economical spell by a spinner at Wankhede

Wankhede is a bowlers’ graveyard more often than not. If they are bowling in the second innings, the dew inhibits their potency. And to add to it, if it is a spinner then they might just hope for limiting the carnage as much as they can.

But tonight, Moeen Ali made full use of a stroke of genius by MS Dhoni. After Jos Buttler hit a ball in the stands, the umpires had to change it. Deploying his presence of mind, Dhoni asked spinners to bowl with a dry new ball. First Ravindra Jadeja delivered a two-wicket over. Then, Moeen Ali followed it up with three wickets for three runs in his two overs. In the end, he finished with seven runs in his three overs, which is the most economical spell for a spinner at Wankhede in IPL history.

3.    Jadeja was everywhere

Knowing his value in the field, CSK put Jadeja at the position where the ball is likely to come the most. Even it means he has to run from deep midwicket to deep midwicket after each over.

Tonight, Jadeja got hold of four catches and joined an elite club. It is only a surprise that he was not on this list already.

4.    200 matches as a captain

In the last game, MS Dhoni completed his 200th game for CSK. However, he was a captain in 199 of those as in a dead-rubber in Champions League 2012, Dhoni played as a batsman and handed the captaincy to Suresh Raina and the wicket-keeping gloves to Wriddhiman Saha.

When Dhoni walked out to lead CSK tonight, he became the first captain ever to lead an IPL side in 200 games, a record that might hold for years to come.

As a passing mention, this is also the first time CSK won a game at Wankhede while batting first. Their eight wins in 16 games here before tonight were all in successful chases.