MUMBAI, India — Ravindra Jadeja smashed a record-equaling 37 runs off the last over and then claimed 3-13 to lead Chennai Super Kings to a 69-run victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League on Sunday.
It was Bangalore’s first defeat in this season’s IPL.
Chris Gayle, while playing for Bangalore, also hit 37 runs in a single over against Kochi Tuskers’ Prasanth Parameswaran during the 2011 edition of the IPL.
Chennai chose to bat and Jadeja, who was dropped on zero, rocketed his team’s total from 154-4 at the end of the 19th over to 191-4 at the end of the 20th. He hit five sixes and a four in Harshal Patel’s 20th over — with one of the sixes coming off a no ball — for his 28-ball 62.
In reply, Bangalore scored 122-9, mainly due to Jadeja’s brilliance.
Chennai shares the lead with Bangalore. Both teams have eight points, winning four out of five games.
“Jaddu (Jadeja) is somebody who can change the game on his own,” said Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Jadeja, a seasoned all-rounder with left-arm spin, took the heart out of Bangalore’s run chase by clean bowling Glenn Maxwell (22) and A.B. de Villiers (4). Between those two vital blows, Jadeja ran out Dan Christian off a direct throw which reduced Bangalore to 81-5 in the 10th over with the chase falling apart for Virat Kohli’s team.
Opening batsman Devdutt Padikkal (34 off 15 balls) briefly looked to threaten Chennai’s imposing target before he was caught at backward square leg off Shardul Thakur (1-11) in an otherwise under-par batting effort by Bangalore.
“It’s good to get a performance like this out of the way early in the season,” said Kohli, who scored only eight runs. “You can probably say one guy beat us.”
Earlier, opening batter Faf du Plessis hit 50, his second successive half century, to give Chennai a strong start before Bangalore hit back in the middle overs.
Patel removed Suresh Raina (24) and du Plessis off successive deliveries in the 14th over and had impressive figures of 3-14 off his first three overs before Jadeja’s onslaught left the fast bowler with 3-51.
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