Kings eliminate CSK
Shreyas Iyer and Prabhsimran Singh made well-measured fifties after a splendid hat-trick by Yuzvendra Chahal as Punjab Kings’ four-wicket victory knocked five-time champions Chennai Super Kings out of this season’s IPL playoffs race here on Wednesday.
Riding on the late four-wicket haul from Chahal (4/32), including a hat-trick, PBKS bowled out CSK for 190, and despite a little stumbling towards the end, the visitors got over the line with two of balls to spare scoring 194/6. Shreyas (72, 41 balls, 5×4, 4×6) and Prabhsimran (54, 36 balls, 5x4s, 3×6) were the architects of the victory.
PBKS have moved up to second in the table with 13 points while CSK are 10th with just four points, and their improbable playoffs hopes too were eliminated with this result.
Skipper Iyer responded with a meticulous fifty — his fourth since taking charge of PBKS — while Prabhsimran brought up his third half-century of the season as the two forged a crucial 72-run stand for the second wicket, which set the platform for the PBKS win.
Before that, PBKS openers Priyansh Arya (23) and Prabhsimran had no qualms in scoring at nine runs per over. Prabhsimran had a narrow escape while attempting a reverse sweep off Ravindra Jadeja as the ball crashed into his pads in front of the wickets. But the on-field umpire’s call of not out stayed even as CSK sought DRS intervention.
The PBKS opener, otherwise, displayed his array of strokes which had a mix of scoop, reverse sweeps and powerful hits down the ground. But it was Iyer who towered over the others, rotating the strike with ease while getting the big boundaries to constantly ward off the pressure which CSK tried to build towards the end with wickets and dot balls.
Earlier, Sam Curran braved testing conditions to produce an imperious fifty but a late four-wicket burst from Chahal kept the Super Kings to a total that was a tad below par.
Curran hit his first fifty of the season (88 off 47 balls, 9×4, 4×6) as he anchored the recovery process of his side from a precarious 48/3 in the powerplay.
With their backs against the wall, Curran teamed up with Dewald Brevis (32) to carefully plot CSK’s way back into the contest with a robust 78-run fourth-wicket stand.
Curran eventually fell in the 18th over, getting an edge while attempting to duck under a Marco Jansen bouncer, but not before producing a knock of spunk and substance.
Chahal, who was wicketless until the penultimate over, was hit for a six by MS Dhoni (11) but the bowler had him caught at long off on the second delivery.
On the fourth, Deepak Hooda (2) played one meekly towards backward point while on the fifth, impact substitute Anshul Kamboj (0) was cleaned up. Noor Ahmad (0) tried to put one away but ended up miscuing his shot and Jansen came in from long on to complete the hat-trick, which was the leg-spinner’s second in the IPL.
Brief scores: Chennai Super Kings: 190 all out in 20 overs (Curran 88, Brevis 32; Chahal 4/32, Jansen 2/30); Punjab Kings: 194/6 in 19.4 overs (Iyer 72, Prabhsimran 54; Pathirana 2/45, Khaleel 2/28).
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