It was one of those off days for CSK at the office as they lost their opening encounter against KKR. However, there was some silver lining to it as well.
One of the major talking points from the match was Dwayne Bravo levelling the record of highest wicket-takers in the history of IPL.
While other CSK bowlers struggled to limit the KKR batters to dot balls, Bravo ran riot with his change in pace bowling. He picked 3 wickets in the typical Bravo fashion to keep his side in the game.
It all started with the wicket of free-flowing Venky.
Having started off flamboyantly, there came a phrase where KKR couldn’t conjure boundaries.
Bravo’s treble of wickets
This brought some pressure on Venkatesh Iyer, known for his clean hitting. The mounting dot balls forced him to throw his hands on a wide ball. And all he could manage was a nick which carried easily to the keeper.
The second wicket came in the form of Nitish Rana. The left-hander, too, was trying his level best to score quick runs to keep the pressure at bay.
However, it seems that he fell to a trap set delicately by the new skipper of CSK. Rana lost his wicket trying to clear the infield in the fine-leg region. His shot could only travel as far as Rayudu, who completed a good catch.
Deep into the match, when all seemed lost, Bravo ignited the flame again.
Despite the quick start and a blistering knock by Rahane, there came a phase where KKR couldn’t find boundaries at all.
With two new batters on the crease in the form of Shreyas Iyer and Sam Billings, KKR’s inning came to a still. The runs were only coming in singles and doubles.
That is when Billings decided to up the ante for his new franchise. He, too, is known for sending the ball to the bleachers. And he indeed managed to get a few off the middle of his bat.
But he couldn’t manage to keep it going as Bravo claimed his wicket in the 18th over. This got the hopes up for CSK fans.
Bravo equals the record
It just wasn’t their day though. And Shreyas Iyer, with a levelled head, finished the chase for his team.
These wickets took Bravo’s tally to total wickets in the tournament to 170. It took him just 151 matches to reach this figure.
This is the joint highest figure of all time, with Lasith Malinga being the first bowler to have claimed as many scalps. He took 120 matches to set this milestone.
The CSK fans will hope Bravo continues his excellent form with the ball in hand. If he remains fit to play the rest of the tournament, he will undoubtedly overtake Malinga to become the highest wicket-taker in the tournament’s history. The other names on the list of highest wicket-takers contain the likes of Amit Mishra 166, Piyush Chawla 157, and Harbhajan Singh 150.
Bravo already holds the record for most wickets in a season which is 32. Last season the record was equalled by Harshal Patel, but he failed to go past it.
Chennai will play their second game on Thursday against Lucknow Super Giants.
