Chennai Super Kings thrashed Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets in a one-sided top-of-the-table Indian Premier League clash on Tuesday.
The Super Kings were sensational after choosing to bowl, with Deepak Chahar taking 3-20 as the Knight Riders – just ahead of their opponents in the standings before this game – could only muster 108-9.
That was despite the best efforts of Andre Russell, who was 50 not out, but even a plodding response from the hosts could not turn the match back in Kolkata’s favour.
Faf du Plessis made an unbeaten 43 and the chase was completed with 16 balls remaining.
SUPER KINGS’ SUPERB START
Any suggestion of a tight contest between two in-form sides was put to bed immediately as the Super Kings picked up a wicket in each of the first three overs.
Chris Lynn went lbw for a duck to Chahar, who then superbly caught Sunil Narine off Harbhajan Singh (2-15) and also dismissed Nitish Rana without scoring.
From 9-3, there was some improvement from the Knight Riders as skipper Dinesh Karthik made 19. But Chahar accounted for Robin Uthappa before Imran Tahir (2-21) joined in and took out both Karthik and Shubman Gill. Kolkata were 47-6 and floundering again.
RUSSELL ATTEMPTS RESCUE ACT
The Super Kings continued to sweep through the Kolkata line-up as Russell’s partnership of 29 with Piyush Chawla was ended when the latter was stumped off a Harbhajan delivery, before Kuldeep Yadav was run out next ball. Prasidh Krishna also went for a duck.
But Russell kept going and was rewarded with a 44-ball half-century, sealed with a four from the final delivery of the innings – adding to the three sixes already struck.
Hopes of a fightback remained extremely slim, though, and Chennai were well on their way on 40-2 by the end of the powerplay.
SLOW AND STEADY DOES IT
Despite a solid start, the Super Kings perhaps allowed the contest to become closer than it should have.
Du Plessis was the one constant, yet contributed only three fours, while his various partners likewise took their time.
An outing that had begun in dreadful fashion ended the same way for the Knight Riders as it was Narine’s delivery to Du Plessis that settled the match, running towards the home dugout for five wides. (Sportsmax)
