In a high-stakes 22nd match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 32 runs for their second consecutive win of the season. KKR’s difficulties worsened as they went winless in the competition after five games.
After being called in to bat, Chennai survived an early setback as skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (7) was dismissed cheaply. The innings was revived by a strong performance from Sanju Samson (48), who top-scored with a fluent knock, just missing out on a half-century after being bowled by Kartik Tyagi. He was ably assisted by teenager Ayush Mhatre (38), who offered early fireworks, and Dewald Brevis (41), who produced a reliable performance. While KKR’s death bowling stopped CSK from scoring 200 or more runs, important cameos from Sarfaraz Khan (23) and Shivam Dube (13*) helped them post a competitive total of 192/5.
KKR’s chase never really took off as their top order failed to adjust to the Chepauk surface. Using their cheat code, Sunil Narine (17) demonstrated glimpses of his old form, but his dismissal to Khaleel Ahmed left the squad reeling. A mid-innings collapse reduced them to 90/6, with big-money acquisition Cameron Green going for a golden duck. Ramandeep Singh (35) and Rovman Powell (31*) put on a late 63-run combination to recover, but the increasing required run rate became too much, leaving the Knights 32 runs short.
While defending, Noor Ahmad was the star performance, ripping through the KKR middle order to end with 3/21, including two vital dismissals of Rahane and Green. He was brilliantly supported by Akeal Hosein, whose economical 1/26 sustained the pressure on the opposing end. Anshul Kamboj set the pace with 2/32, dismissing Finn Allen early.
Kolkata’s bowling unit showed flashes of brilliance but battled for consistency throughout the innings. Kartik Tyagi was the standout of the seamers, finishing with 2/35 and taking the crucial wickets of Samson and Brevis just as they were about to accelerate. Narine remained their most consistent weapon, ending with numbers of 1/21. However, costly spells from Vaibhav Arora and Green helped CSK to continue a high run rate, eventually setting a target that KKR was unable to meet.
With this win, CSK are now eighth in the points table with four points.
Scorecard:
Chennai Super Kings: 192/5, Overs 20, Dewald Brevis 41, Karthik Tyagi 2/35
Kolkata Knight Riders: 160/7, Overs 20, Ramandeep Singh 35, Noor Ahmad 3/21
