In the 22nd match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by seven wickets at the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai.
CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad won the toss and chose to field first. It was critical to win the toss and bowl first, as what appeared to be a flat surface for batting was revealed to be a sluggish wicket. The home team made a significant comeback in the first inning after conceding 50 runs in the first five overs. The likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Mustafizur Rahman changed the complexion of the game straightaway as they got quick wickets. The slower balls, and spin bowling helped CSK restrict KKR to 137/9 in 20 overs.
In the chase, the unit had a steady start with both openers, Rachin Ravindra (15) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (67*), reading the conditions well and batting accordingly. Ruturaj looked under no pressure whatsoever as he took his time and batted till the end to take CSK home comfortably. The skipper assessed the pitch well and hit a remarkable fifty, which included nine fours. With dew coming in, it became easier for the side. Daryl Mitchell (25) and Shivam Dube (28) also took their time and later on, took on bowlers which helped the unit chase the total in just 17.4 overs.
While batting first, KKR batted strongly at the start of the inning but failed to continue it beyond the powerplay. Sunil Narine (25) once again provided a valuable start to the Knights while Angkrish Raghuvanshi (24) also continued his fine touch. Skipper Shreyas Iyer (34) played a decent knock along with Ramandeep Singh and Andre Russell, who scored a few runs too.
Jadeja looked sublime with the ball as he plucked three wickets and just gave away 18 runs. Three wickets were also taken by Tushar Deshpande while Mustafizur Rahman grabbed two and Maheesh Theekshana took one wicket.
For KKR with the ball, Vaibhav Arora got two wickets, while one wicket was grabbed by Sunil Narine.
Following this win, CSK have secured their third win of the season and are now fourth on the points table.
Scorecard:
Kolkata Knight Riders: 137/9, Overs 20, Shreyas Iyer 34, Ravindra Jadeja 3/18
Chennai Super Kings: 141/3, Overs 17.4, Ruturaj Gaikwad 67*, Vaibhav Arora 2/29