The 53rd match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamsala, saw Chennai Super Kings (CSK) emerge victorious against Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 28 runs.
PBKS elected to field first after winning the toss. Arshdeep Singh provided them with an early breakthrough, dismissing Ajinkya Rahane for nine runs. A promising 50-run stand between Ruturaj Gaikwad and Daryl Mitchell was broken by Rahul Chahar, who dismissed both Gaikwad (32) and Shivam Dube (0) in quick succession. Harshal Patel joined the party, removing Mitchell for 30, putting the defending champions on the backfoot. While wickets tumbled at one end, Ravindra Jadeja anchored the innings with a crucial 43 runs off just 26 balls, guiding CSK to a total of 167/9 in their 20 overs.
Chahar and Patel were the pick of the bowlers for PBKS, returning with figures of 3/23 and 3/24 respectively. Arshdeep chipped in with two wickets, while Sam Curran bagged one.
Chasing a modest target, PBKS got off to a shaky start as Tushar Deshpande dismissed both Jonny Bairstow and Rilee Rossouw in the same over. Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh attempted a fightback with a 50-run partnership. However, the spin duo of Mitchell Santner and Jadeja broke the stand, dismissing Shashank (27) and Prabhsimran (30) in quick succession. The fall of wickets continued with Simarjeet Singh dismissing Jitesh Sharma for a golden duck. Jadeja tightened the grip further, picking up Curran and Ashutosh Sharma in the same over, effectively taking the game away from PBKS. The home team eventually fell short, managing only 139 runs in their allotted overs, resulting in a 28-run defeat.
CSK bowlers displayed exceptional discipline, with Jadeja leading the way with three wickets for just 20 runs. Simarjeet and Tushar picked up two wickets each, while Santner and Shardul Thakur chipped in with a wicket apiece.
For his all-round performance of scoring 43 runs off 26 balls and picking up three crucial wickets for 20 runs, Ravindra Jadeja was deservedly adjudged the Man of the Match.
This victory propels CSK to the third position on the points table with six wins from their eleven matches. Meanwhile, Punjab Kings remain on eighth place with four wins from their eleven outings.
Scorecard:
Chennai Super Kings: 167/9, Overs 20, Ravindra Jadeja 43, Rahul Chahar 3/23
Punjab Kings: 139/9, Overs 20, Prabhsimran Singh 30, Ravindra Jadeja 3/20