Ajinkya Rahane made the fastest fifty of the season against Mumbai Indians.
Ajinkya Rahane made a scintillating fifty off just 19 balls against Mumbai Indians in his first game of IPL 2023. He went berserk and hit 23 runs off Arshad Khan’s second over. This was the best Ajinkya Rahane has batted in a long, long time.
Not many would have expected Rahane to put on a flurry of boundaries at such a consistent rate. Every shot he played seemed better than the previous ones. His valiant effort put CSK in the driver’s seat in the chase.
Arshad Khan didn’t know what was going to him, and neither did anyone following the game. But Ajinkya Rahane decided to go all guns blazing off Arshad, taking 23 off his over.
The fastest 50 of the season so far and it’s from @ajinkyarahane88 💪#MIvCSK #TATAIPL #IPLonJioCinema #IPL2023 | @ChennaiIPL pic.twitter.com/PZzmJJ999V
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) April 8, 2023
Firstly, Rahane flicked a down-leg delivery over the fine leg for a 69 m maximum. The ball was there to hit, and Rahane capitalized on it. Arshad went to compensate for the last ball, and Rahane knew it. The ball had enough width for him to stay back and cut it past the point region for a boundary.
In the next three boundaries, the Mumbaikar showed the range and shots he possesses. He adroitly dabbed the ball to get his second four past the third-man region. Rahane was having fun now.
He again played a cut shot to earn his fourth consecutive boundary. However, the 34-years old preserved the best for the last. A straight drive is the most aesthetically pleasing shot in cricket.
Ajinkya Rahane executed it with perfection in front of Sachin Tendulkar himself. Despite being on the receiving end, Tendulkar would have definitely enjoyed that shot. He was the original master of that shot, after all.
Ajinkya Rahane took a single off the last ball to end one of the most beautiful overs of IPL 2023. He also made a 19-ball fifty, which is the fastest, and probably the most eye-pleasing of the season thus far. This is also the joint second-fastest half-century ever by a CSK batter.
Ajinkya Rahane has always been a class player. When on the song, Rahane can tear away any bowling unit. Today was just one of those days. CSK would want him to have more such days ahead.
