3 times dew played a massive role in an IPL 2023 match so far
The IPL 2023 has entered its final week of the league stages as almost all the teams battle for playoff qualification.
The Delhi Capitals (DC) are the only team officially eliminated from playoff contention after losing against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at home on May 13.
The Gujarat Titans (GT) are on top of the points table and have one foot in the playoffs, followed closely by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Mumbai Indians (MI), and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as the top four teams currently.
While the action between bat and ball has been scintillating, with plenty of youngsters making a mark and the experienced players leading from the front, there has also been the constant theme of the dew factor affecting the balance and determining the outcome of some of the night games.
Many captains have voiced their opinion on the impact of dew on the outcome of the game after defeats, making the toss a crucial factor.
The team batting second often gets heavily favored in matches where the dew sets in at night, making the ball skid onto the bat and reducing the impact of spinners by making it harder for them to grip the ball.
The amount of grip and turn a spinner can generate are also negated, making it easier for batters to hit through the line. The dew factor also hinders pacers in bowling cutters and slower balls, reducing their impact in the death overs.
In the latest encounter between the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), CSK skipper MS Dhoni felt that the dew factor had a massive impact on the outcome of the game at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on May 14.
CSK struggled in their innings batting first, posting just 144-6 in their 20 overs, with Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine spinning a web around their batters and picking up two wickets each.
However, in reply, the KKR batters handled the CSK spinners with relative ease, as skipper Nitish Rana and young sensation Rinku Singh notched up half-centuries to lead KKR to a convincing six-wicket victory.
With the dew factor constantly being a topic of discussion during and before matches in all the IPLs, let us look at three other instances in IPL 2023 where dew played a massive role.
#1 Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings, Ahmedabad
The first match of IPL 2023 saw the defending champions Gujarat Titans take on the four-time champions Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad on March 31. GT won the toss and elected to field first on a decent batting wicket.
CSK, led by opener Ruturaj Gaikward, posted a formidable 178-7 in their 20 overs. In reply, GT coasted through most of their run-chase as the dew set in during their innings, rendering the CSK spinners largely ineffective.
Ravindra Jadeja and Mitchell Santner combined for just a solo wicket, leading CSK skipper MS Dhoni to believe that the batters should have put on more runs to give more leeway to the bowlers. He said:
"We all knew there will be dew. We could have done a bit more with the batsman ship. Ruturaj (Gaikwad) was brilliant, he times the ball well and he's a pleasure to watch."
The victory helped GT kickstart the defense of their title last year, and the side hasn't looked back since, winning eight of their 12 games so far this season.
#2 Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai
Match no. 42 saw a high-scoring thriller featuring five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians and the inaugural IPL winners Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 30. RR made a surprising decision at the toss and elected to bat first on a traditionally chasing ground in Mumbai.
The strategy seemed to have worked when they posted a mammoth 212-7 in their 20 overs on the back of a sparkling century by the talented Yashasvi Jaiswal.
In reply, MI had valuable contributions from most of their batters and stunned the Royals by chasing an improbable target with six wickets and three balls to spare.
Despite crediting the MI batters for their display, Samson felt the wet ball made it impossible for the bowlers to execute their plans.
"It was kind of getting wet. It was not too wet and we were taking our time to wipe the ball. We had the experience of bowling in these conditions. Results do come here and there. We will keep focusing on the process. We will keep focus on the controllables," stated Samson.
This win was critical for MI as they had slid to three wins and four losses and have won three of their last four games since this incredible result.
#3 Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi
The 50th match of IPL 2023 saw the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) take on the Delhi Capitals (DC) in Delhi on May 6. On a dry and two-paced-looking wicket, RCB won the toss and batted first, posting a seemingly above-par 181-4 in their 20 overs.
Virat Kohli top-scored for RCB with 55 off 46 deliveries and felt the team had gotten 20-25 runs above par. However, to the dismay of RCB and their fans, DC chased the total down with seven wickets to spare in just the 17th over.
After the game, RCB skipper Faf du Plessis felt that the dew played a massive role in the ineffectiveness of the spinners.
"I thought 185 was a pretty good score. The dew took the spinners out of the game, but credit to them (DC batters) as well. You like your spinners in the game, but you need to bowl in the right areas despite of the dew."
The result was RCB's fifth of the season, leaving them in a precarious position on the points table.