Kings trump Super Kings

Gaurav Kanthwal

Tribune News Service

Mohali, May 5

Kings XI Punjab beat Chennai Super Kings by six wickets to end their IPL campaign on a high note, but more importantly, Chennai Super Kings have earned the right to play Qualifier 1 because they finished No. 2 on the points table.

Chasing CSK’s 170, KXIP scored 68 runs in the first six overs of powerplay and the job was more or less done. This was the highest score in the powerplays at the venue and also a refreshing change from a recurrent shortcomings of the Punjab team that caused their downfall repeatedly this season. KL Rahul (71) and Chris Gayle (28) raised 108 runs for the first wicket in 10.3 overs. Nicholas Pooran scored a brisk 36 to almost kill the contest. Sam Curran (6) and Mandeep Singh (11) took the team home in the 18th over. 

The highlight of the match was Harbhajan Singh’s four overs. Bowling upfront, Harbhajan bore the brunt of the attack by Gayle and Rahul by conceding 18 runs in his first over, including one four and two sixes. He came back in the fourth over, only to be mauled by Rahul, who hit him for three consecutive fours and a six followed by a dot ball, and then again a six over long-on to complete his fifty in just 19 balls.

In his first two overs, Harbhajan had conceded 42 runs and most captains — with two spinners yet to bowl — would have banished the ageing star, but Dhoni again threw the ball to Harbhajan for the 11th over. And the feisty Sardar tossed up the third ball, and Rahul miscued a lofted shot and was caught in the covers by Imran Tahir. Harbhajan was not done, and he tried the same trick on Gayle and he too committed the same mistake. This time, substitute fielder Dhruv Shorey lapped it up to peg the home team back. In his last over, the 13th over of the innings, Harbhajan got Mayank Agarwal (7) caught at deep backward square by Ravindra Jadeja, and KXIP were now 118/3. But KXIP were not to be denied as Pooran struck two fours and three sixers in his 22-ball knock. Harbhajan ended up with figures of 3/57. 

Earlier, Faf du Plessis (96) and Suresh Raina (53) scored the majority of the runs for the Chennai team. The duo added 120 for the second wicket to help CSK post 170/5 even as the rest of the batsmen failed to fire in the death overs. Dhoni ended up with a 12-ball 10.

Jadhav injured

In the 14th over, Kedar Jadhav injured his left shoulder while trying to prevent overthrows near the boundary. He left the field immediately, clutching his shoulder. Jadhav, who is in India’s World Cup squad, was immediately taken to a nearby hospital. CSK coach Stephen Fleming said, “As of now there is nothing serious. We will get to know about his injury soon. He is out for the rest of IPL.”