Urvil Patel of Chennai Super Kings (Photo by ANI) Urvil Patel said he kept his approach extremely simple during his breathtaking knock against Lucknow Super Giants and revealed that clear instructions from the coaches and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad helped him produce one of the greatest power displays in IPL history. The CSK batsman smashed a sensational 65 off just 23 balls during Chennai Super Kings’ chase of 204 in Chepauk, including a stunning 13-ball fifty that equaled the fastest half-century ever recorded in the IPL. His innings featured eight sixes and two boundaries at a staggering 282.61 as Chennai sealed a five-wicket victory and climbed to fifth in the points table. Despite the chaos he created with the bat, Urvil insisted there was no elaborate plan behind the innings. “I didn’t have anything in mind but I just wanted to bat according to the situation and the ball,” Urvil said after the match. The youngster explained that the coaching staff had only one clear instruction for him before going out to bat. “Coach just told me to keep a steady base and then hit, I did the same,” he revealed. Urvil also credited captain Gaikwad for helping him prepare for the conditions at Chepauk, where the pitch started to stay slightly low during the chase. “Rutu said the goal was low and to be ready for it. He didn’t tell me much, he let me play my game,” Urvil added. Once Sanju Samson fell after a torrid start, Urvil completely changed the dynamic of the contest. He launched Avesh Khan for three consecutive sixes before dismantling Digvesh Singh Rathi in another brutal over full of boundaries and towering maximums. The right-hander eventually became the first batsman in IPL history to smash six sixes in the first eight balls of an innings. He also equaled Yashasvi Jaiswal’s long-standing record for the fastest IPL fifty after reaching the landmark in just 13 deliveries. His explosive innings took CSK to 97/1 in the powerplay, the highest powerplay score ever recorded at Chepauk, eclipsing the 91 runs scored by LSG earlier in the evening. Although LSG fought back in the middle overs through Shahbaz Ahmed and Digvesh Rathi, Chennai finally completed the chase with four balls remaining after Shivam Dube smashed consecutive sixes in the final over.
