Almost five decades back, a certain Shivaji Rao Gaikwad arrived in Chennai and ruled a million hearts as Rajinikanth. On Friday, Chennai embraced a second Gaikwad (Ruturaj), who took over the reins of their Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise from the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and tactically led them to a six-wicket win in the season opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the jam-packed MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

With Friday’s win, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has stretched their dominant home record against RCB, who last beat them in Chennai back in the inaugural season of the IPL. Since then CSK have won all eight matches against RCB at home.

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Chasing 174, Ruturaj Gaikwad and his new opening partner Rachin Ravindra got the home side off to a flying 38-run start before the new CSK skipper fell for a run-a-ball 15 to Yash Dayal, who came in as an Impact Player substitute for Dinesh Karthik. However, there was no respite for RCB as Ravindra continued in the same vein while Ajinkya Rahane seemed to have picked up from where he left off last season as CSK smashed 62 runs in the powerplay for the loss of one wicket.

Ravindra ended up falling for 37 off 15 balls to leg-spinner Karn Sharma while Rahane was later dismissed thanks to a stunner of a catch from Glenn Maxwell on 27 off 19. Daryl Mitchell, the third CSK debutant on the day, came up with a blistering 18-ball 22 before becoming Green’s second victim after Rahane.

With the defending champions still needing 64 runs, Shivam Dube (34 not out), the designated Impact Player for the home side, coming in for Mustafizur Rahman, initially looked a bit scratchy but soon gained pace, to outpace Ravindra Jadeja (25 not out off 17), who began by tonking Maxwell over long-on.

With the Chepauk pitch getting slower towards the end overs, Dube hammered Mohammed Siraj for a couple of boundaries to bring the run-rate further down as CSK needed 10 off the last two overs. Dube then clobbered Alzarri Joseph for a six and a four off successive deliveries to help his side get over the line with eight balls to spare.

Earlier, it turned out a dream CSK debut for Bangladesh left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman, picking up four wickets to rock RCB’s top order before a 95-run sixth wicket stand between the wicketkeeper duo of Dinesh Karthik and Anuj Rawat rescued them to a below-par 173 for 6.

Playing his final IPL season, Karthik conceded that the total could be under-par, and that the RCB had to bowl out of their skins to end on the winning side.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we are a bit under-par. We will have to field very well and bowl out of our skins. The last over, he bowled really well, but I couldn’t connect at all. If I could have hit one six that would be the difference between 182-183 and the 173 we got. But if we field well, which we are capable of, and looks like I won’t be there so even better, we can fight.”

After RCB skipper Faf du Plessis won the toss in what was his first game as an opposition player in Chennai and elected to bat, the team motored along, having reached 41/0 in 4.3 overs before CSK hit back and dented their progress. Mustafizur ran riot, dismissing du Plessis (35 off 23) before packing back Rajat Patidar for a duck.

eepak Chahar then jolted the visitors with the wicket of Glenn Maxwell for another duck as RCB were suddenly tottering at 42 for 3, before Kohli and Cameron Green (18) forged together a 35-run fourth wicket partnership.

Once it appeared that the ship was steadied, Mustafizur derailed RCB once again with the wickets of Kohli and Green to leave them struggling at 78 for 5. Chennai boy Dinesh Karthik (38 not out off 26) and Anuj Rawat (48 off 25) then unleashed fury to silence the vociferous Sea of Yellow at the Chepauk, and took RCB out of troubled waters.

While it was vintage Dinesh Karthik with plenty of invention against fast bowling, trying to scoop a few balls, hoping to manipulate their lines and lengths and when it’s in the slog, he planted that front foot down and kept going bang to eventually pump in three boundaries and two sixes during his undefeated cameo.

At the other end, the left-handed Rawat shouldered the responsibility beautifully, as he began by breaking the deadlock for RCB going 29 balls without a boundary, and smoked two fours in six balls, including a ramped four off Dhoni’s head off Deepak Chahar before milking 25 runs off Tushar Deshpande’s third over to eventually add 95 off 57 balls.

Despite that entertaining show with the bat, DK admitted that he had to struggle for form and praised his younger partner for the show. “Right till the end, I was just fighting my form. I was rusty, I was trying hard, Anuj, a young boy, played a special knock. It is a very very good pitch for batting.”

Rawat gave glimpses of what’s in store for the season ahead, smoking four boundaries and three sixes before falling short of the crease while trying to steal a bye on the final delivery with MS Dhoni catching him short with a direct under-arm hit.