MS Dhoni’s reinstatement as captain did not yield the desired results for CSK. In a disappointing match, the five-time champions suffered an unprecedented fifth consecutive defeat, marking their third loss at home this season, and were dismissed for their lowest total ever at Chepauk. To exacerbate the situation, the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, successfully chased down the target of 103 with remarkable ease, achieving victory with 59 balls remaining, thereby securing their third win of the season.
KKR restricts CSK for mere 103 runs
CSK, having expressed a preference to bat first, was given that chance when KKR opted to field. However, they managed to achieve only the second-lowest PowerPlay score of the season, surpassing only their performance against RCB. The pitch was challenging, and out of the first 18 deliveries, ten were dot balls, leading Devon Conway to attempt a reverse sweep against Moeen. Unfortunately, he missed and was dismissed LBW in a wicket-maiden over from the returning Englishman, who bowled two of the initial six overs. Rachin Ravindra also found it difficult to accelerate the scoring, and while attempting to hit Harshit Rana, he edged a catch to extra cover. Rana could have claimed a second wicket, but Sunil Narine dropped an easy catch at mid-off, allowing Vijay Shankar to recover and hit two boundaries in the sixth over, adding some respectability to the total.
CSK’s chances of a comeback hinged on the partnership between Vijay Shankar and Tripathi, which briefly lifted their spirits with a 43-run stand for the third wicket. However, the situation deteriorated for the five-time champions when Varun Chakaravarthy triumphed in his contest against Vijay, who, after surviving another dropped catch, swept the ball directly to deep square leg. The innings quickly fell apart thereafter—Tripathi was bowled by Narine, R. Ashwin, who was sent in as a pinch-hitter, pulled Rana to long-on, and Narine struck again, dismissing Jadeja for a duck caught behind. Deepak Hooda was introduced as the Impact Sub, but Varun had him easily chipping a catch to mid-wicket, leaving the hosts in a precarious position at 72 for 7.
Dhoni walked in at No. 9 in the 15th over, greeted by a slip and a forward short-leg. With Varun and Narine still operating and the match-ups in their favour, Rahane’s smart team selection and resource management paid off. It didn’t take long for Narine to strike again, ripping an off-break past Dhoni’s defence and into his pads to claim his third. The West Indian finished with a superb 3 for 13. CSK were staring at a sub-100 total after losing 7 for 20 in 46 balls before Shivam Dube spared them that ignominy with an unbeaten 24-run stand for the final wicket with Anshul Kamboj. Dube also broke a 63-ball boundary drought but couldn’t prevent CSK from registering their lowest total at home.
Kolkata easily chase the target to boost runrate
CSK hit only one six in their 120 balls, while KKR struck two sixes within the first seven balls of their innings, highlighting a significant difference in their approach. Dhoni opted to introduce spin only in the fourth over, by which point Sunil Narine and Quinton de Kock had already accumulated 34 runs towards the modest target. Ashwin’s initial over contributed an additional 12 runs to KKR’s total before Anshul Kamboj finally halted the 46-run opening onslaught. However, CSK faced further challenges during the PowerPlay, as Khaleel allowed 18 runs in the sixth over, bringing KKR to just 33 runs away from victory.
Sunil Narine was dismissed for a rapid 44 off 18 balls when Noor Ahmad bowled him out, but Ajinkya Rahane and Rinku Singh ensured that KKR significantly improved their Net Run Rate, moving from -0.056 to +0.803, by completing the chase in just 10.1 overs.
SCORECARD: Chennai Super Kings 103/9 in 20 overs (Shivam Dube 31*; Sunil Narine 3-13, Harshit Rana 2-16, Varun CV 2-22) lost to Kolkata Knight Riders 107/2 in 10.1 overs (Sunil Narine 44; Noor Ahmad 1-8) by 8 wickets.
