Ajinkya Rahane has entirely reinvented himself; he is batting in the style of Brendon McCullum.

Shivam Dube scored 50 runs off 21 balls, Devon Conway scored 56 runs off 40 balls, and Ajinkya Rahane scored 71 runs off 29 balls as CSK scored 235 runs—the most ever scored at the Eden Gardens in the IPL. In a crucial IPL 2023 match at the iconic Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata, the Chennai Super Kings defeated the Kolkata Knight Riders by 49 runs to ascend to the top of the standings. While batting first, CSK had three players score fifty.  Rinku Singh batted until the end and scored a half century, but it was not enough as KKR only scored 186 runs.

For years, the Chennai Super Kings setup has been praised for its ability to bring out the best in its athletes. Former CSK champion and Jio Cinema IPL expert Robin Uthappa explained why Ajinkya Rahane is experiencing a career revival and why Chennai was the ideal location for him to do so, stating, “Ajinkya Rahane has reached a new level and is batting exceptionally well. Today’s innings demonstrate that he has discovered a second wind in his career and will continue playing for a longer time.”

Uthappa continued, “There are a few factors that distinguish this Chennai franchise from others. The first step is role clarity, then comes communication and the assurance that, if given the chance, they will have at least four or five opportunities, even if they don’t score. Particularly if you are an established senior professional. What else could a player desire? A skilled participant desires exactly this. If you provide a competent player with security, he will perform admirably.”

Ajinkya Rahane was named the match’s Most Valuable Player for his outstanding batting performance.

Eoin Morgan compared Rahane’s new batting approach to that of IPL legend Brendon McCullum due to his improved form. “He has transformed himself entirely. This is more reminiscent of Brendon McCullum than Ajinkya Rahane. The success rate in this tournament has been through the roof thus far. So many shots are not only elegant but also immensely destructive, accelerating the progression of events. You cannot help but revere what they’ve accomplished. It demonstrates the precision and permission Stephen Fleming and MS Dhoni have granted him to play ridiculous shots.”

Morgan also had a great deal of praise for the CSK opening pair of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway, who had another great opening stint tonight: “They are rolling with confidence and momentum, and when you have a combination of those two things, it is difficult to stop, especially on such a small ground as Eden Gardens.”