PremiumCCL 2025 Day 6: Match 11 Chennai Rhinos keep hopes alive with second win; send Bhojpuri Dabanggs packing
CCL 2025 Day 6: Match 11 saw the Chennai Rhinos send the Bhojpuri Dabanggs packing. But is that going to be enough as far as net run-rate goes to give them a semis spot?
Chennai Rhinos defeated the Bhojpuri Dabanggs
Last Updated: 06.43 PM, Feb 22, 2025
As the Bhojpuri Dabanggs and the Chennai Rhinos headed into their fourth and last group stage match it was crucial for either to keep hopes alive of advancing to the semis of CCL 2025. Both had only 1 win each to their credit and, prior to this match, the Dabanggs fared a tad better as far as net run-rate goes and were in third place on the points table, with the Rhinos at fifth, even behind Punjab De Sher. With the run rate the decider, it would be up to the Dabanggs to restrict the Rhinos as far as possible and for the latter to ensure that plan does not fall in place. The Rhinos handed the Dabanggs yet another defeat, but how much that will change the net run-rate will have to be seen and if it is going to be enough, what with the Telugu Warriors and Punjab De Sher still to play their final group stage matches.
Manoj Tiwari won the toss and elected to field first, with the intention of restricting the Rhinos to the lowest possible score. When the Rhinos lost Ramana early on, after scoring 10 only, it seemed that the Dabanggs would keep the proceedings tight, but then Sharan and skipper Vikranth let loose, getting the team to a half century well within power play. At the end of 3 overs, they were already at 60-1 with a 50 run partnership, after clobbering Pravesh Lal for 27 runs in the last power play over.
This partnership was broken 8 runs later, when Sharan returned to the pavilion. But Vikranth and then Dasarathi ensured there were no more stumbling blocks taking the team total to a whopping 167 for the loss of 2, only 4 runs shy of the highest innings score this season that the Karnataka Bulldozers set against the Mumbai Heroes. In fact, this kind of a blistering batting attack is what the commentators also reckoned is what the Rhinos needed and they delivered in style. There was no dearth of 4s and 6s, what with the Lalabhai Contractor Stadium, one of the smallest in the country.
In response, the Dabanggs had a terrible start to their chase, losing the first 2 wickets with only 3 runs on the score card. Asgar Khan, the star of their first match against the Mumbai Heroes, needed to step up for his team. He did get a couple of reprieves, when the Rhinos failed to convert easy catches, but his luck didn’t last long. He was still the team’s top scorer with a contribution of 27, and even with Uday and Sudhir’s quick knocks of 24 and 23, respectively, it was never going to be enough against the Rhinos. The Dabanggs folded their first innings at 102 for 4, with a deficit of 65. Unless the Rhinos suffer a complete batting order collapse, and don’t add much in their second innings, this was already looking like a difficult situation for the Dabanggs.
Back to extend their lead over the Dabanggs, the Rhinos’ progress was a lot slower compared to their first innings. Despite frequent wicket losses, they equalled the Dabanggs’ first innings score, meaning that Manoj Tiwari’s team’s target was a whopping 168 in their last 10 overs. It was a tough ask, but the Dabanggs tried hard, and almost got there, with 37 required of the last over. Six 6’s would have taken the match to a super over, but that was not to be, what with Dasarathi giving away only 18, leading the Rhinos to a 17-run victory.
Will this be enough for the Chennai Rhinos to get a semis spot? Well, that will depend on what the Telugu Warriors and Punjab De Sher make of their remaining matches. For the Dabanggs, though, after 3 losses, it’s the end of the road. Up next, the Karnataka Bulldozers play Punjab De Sher in the second match of February 22.