The Yellow Lions aka the CSK triumphed over the Kings Xi Punjab. Yellow Lions won the game by a whopping 10 wickets to secure the highest ever opening partnership.
PERFORMERS OF THE DAY
CHENNAI SUPER KINGS Bat: Faf Du Plessis 87(53) Shane Watson 83(53) Bowl: Shardul Thakur 4-0-39-2
KINGS XI PUNJAB Bat: KL Rahul 63(52) Nicholas Pooran 33(17)
AS IT HAPPENED
Punjab won the toss and elected to bat first. Such has been the trend of this IPL that batting first has become the go-to option if you win the toss. Rahul and Mayank got the team off to a good start. They were 46/0 after the first powerplay. But it was KL Rahul who stayed on the crease and went on to score 63, only to get out in the slog overs.
Mandeep Singh, who came into the team for Karun Nair scored 16 balls 27, setting the platform for the Poorans and the Maxwells. Nicholas Pooran provided the momentum towards the end of the innings and scored 33 off just 17 balls. Maxwell and Sarfaraz couldn’t do much in the few balls that they faced and KXIP finished with 178 after their 20 overs.
A Chase For The Ages
CSK pulled off a chase for the ages. At the half-way stage, Punjab had the upper hand. A score of 178 was above par in Dubai and CSK’s struggle in chasing in the previous matches was there for everyone to see.
Openers All The Way
Shane Watson put to rest his critics in this match. He stringed together an unbeaten partnership with Faf to devour Punjab of any chances they thought they had. The duo scored 60 in the powerplay and 90 until the 15th over as they were comfortably seated on 150 after the 15th over. They won the game by 10 wickets, registering the 2nd highest opening stand in a successful run-chase in the IPL history!
PUNJAB – HOW TO GET WICKETS
Punjab who have Shami and Cottrell, the bowlers in the race for the purple cap, just didn’t know how to take a wicket. It was the batsmen who dictated the innings throughout. The inability of Punjab to strike in the middle lovers hurt them. Bishnoi and Harpreet Brar don’t possess enough experience and skill to come from behind and win you a game single-handedly. Going ahead in the tournament, spinners are going to be important for KXIP.
CSK – UP AND RUNNING
CSK made what could have been a close contest, a one-sided one. A thumping victory over Punjab means that they now have 4 points in 5 games. They will like to build on the momentum from this match. They’re now seated at the 6th position.
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