PBKS v CSK Match Report: CSK Thrash PBKS To Record Their First Win.

Chennai Super Kings registered their first points on the table with a clinical win against Punjab Kings. Deepak Chahar was the star with the ball for CSK as Punjab Kings’ batsman Shahrukh Khan gave us few glimpses of his hard hitting ability in the PBKS v CSK fixture.

Earlier, CSK won the toss and chose to bowl. Both the teams were unchanged from their last matches. This was MS Dhoni’s 200th match in yellow jersey. He became the first cricketer to play 200 matches for a single IPL team. The matches also include CSK ‘s campaign in Champions League tourney.

PBKS sent Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul to open. On the 4th ball of the 1st over, Deepak Chahar bowled to Mayank Agarwal a brilliant length delivery that pitched on the middle as Mayank looked to defend it but the ball shaped away late and crashed in to the stumps. Dismissed for a duck from 2 balls. PBKS were 1/1 at this point. Chris Gayle walked in.

In the 3rd over, Chris Gayle tried to flick Deepak Chahar’s delivery, but it hit his pads and an appeal was made. While the players of CSK were appealing Rahul and Gayle ran to take a quick single but Jadeja’s eyes were watching the ball as he picked it up and a brilliant direct hit by him led to the departure of KL Rahul. Dismissed for 5 runs from 7 balls including 1 four. PBKS were  15/2 at this point. Deepak Hooda walked in.

In the 5th over, Chahar bowled to Gayle a knuckle ball which he tried to play towards mid-on but goes for the move early. The ball goes to the right side of short cover where Jadeja takes a diving catch. Dismissed for 10 runs from 10 balls including 4 fours. Nicholas Pooran walked in. In the same over, Chahar dismissed Pooran for a duck as he tried to pull the short ball but took his eyes off it and pulled it straight to Shardul Thakur at long-on. Dismissed for 0 runs from 2 balls. PBKS were 19/4 at this point. Shahrukh Khan walked in.

In the 7th over bowled by Deepak Chahar, Deepak Hooda slammed the ball a bit early than he should have as it went straight to mid-off where Faf du Plessis was ready to take an easy catch. Dismissed for 10 runs from 15 balls including 1 four. PBKS were in tatters at 26/5 at this point. Jhye Richardson walked in.

In the 13th over, Moeen Ali bowled a short ball to Jhye Richardson, to which he reacted by getting on his back foot with the intention of smashing it over the leg side. However, the ball wasn’t as short as he anticipated as it went under his bat and hit the stumps. Dismissed for 15 runs from 22 balls including 2 fours. PBKS were 57/6 at this point. Murugan Ashwin walked in. 

In the 17th over, Murugan Ashwin ended up smacking Dwayne Bravo’s ball to mid on where Faf du Plessis took a comfortable catch. Dismissed for 6 runs from 14 balls. PBKS were 87/7 at this point. Mohammad Shami walked in.

In the 19th over, PBKS finally completed 100 runs, mostly due to the efforts of Shahrukh Khan while others kept failing around him.

The last over was bowled by Sam Curran. The first delivery was a wide. On the actual first ball of the over, Curran dismissed Shahrukh Khan after he tried to pull the short ball but didn’t time it well as it went straight to deep mid-wicket where Jadeja took an easy catch. Dismissed for 47 runs from 36 balls including 4 fours and 2 sixes. He fell short of his maiden IPL fifty but nonetheless, took Punjab to a fightable score.

PBKS were 101/8 at this point. Riley Meredith walked in. The next ball was a dot ball. The 3rd ball of the over, Shami hit it in front of the square leg as they ran for a couple of runs. The 4th ball Shami sliced it over point and ran for a single and started running for another as the throw came to Dhoni, who then disturbed the stumps. An appeal was taken upstairs, the replays confirmed that Shami survived. The 5th ball was a dot ball and the last one just a single. 

Punjab Kings scored 106/8 in 20 overs. Chennai Super Kings needed to score 107 runs in 20 overs to win.

Chasing 107 runs, CSK sent Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis to open.  In the 5th over, Arshdeep Singh dismissed Ruturaj Gaikwad, who had been looking a bit uncomfortable since the start. A bouncer at the middle urged Ruturaj to pull it out of instinct as he didn’t time it well and found Deepak Hooda at mid-wicket, who took an easy catch. Dismissed for 5 runs from 16 balls. CSK were 24/1 at this point. Moeen Ali walked in. 

In the 9th over, CSK completed 50 runs due to a 4 hit by Moeen Ali at 47 runs.  On the last ball of the 11th over, Moeen Ali and Faf du Plessis completed their 50 run partnership. CSK were 74/1 at this point and needed 33 runs in 46 balls. 

In the 13th over, Moeen Ali tried to slog Murugan Ashwin’s ball over leg side but doesn’t get the right elevation and slams it straight to Shahrukh Khan at deep mid-wicket. Dismissed for 46 runs from 31 balls including 7 fours and 1 six. Suresh Raina walked in. CSK were 90/2 at this point and needed 12 runs from 42 balls by the end of the over. 

In the 15th over, Mohammad Shami dismissed Suresh Raina. He had been looking uncomfortable with the short ball since the start and gave away his wicket to the same ball in an attempt to pull, but a top edge led the ball into the keeper’s hands. Dismissed for 8 runs from 9 balls including 1 four. Ambati Rayadu walked in. On the next ball, Rayadu came down the track to pull the short ball to covers but instead played a bizarre shot which hit the top edge and the ball flew high and then straight into Nicholas Pooran’s hands. Dismissed for a duck from 1 ball. CSK were 99/4 at this point and rewarded Shami with the chance of a hattrick. It looked like they were eager to finish the game early. Sam Curran walked in. Shami coudn’t pull off a hattrick as Faf du Plessis safely took a single and CSK completed 100 runs. By the end of the over only 5 runs were needed from 30 balls. 

The next over was bowled by Riley Meredith. The first ball was a single and the next 2 balls were dot. The 4th ball of the over was a short ball by Riley which Curran pulled through square leg for a 4, as he finished the game in CSK’s victory. 
CSK won by 6 wickets. (26 balls left)

Match Summary: 

Punjab Kings: 106/8 (20)

Shahrukh Khan 47 (36)

Jhye Richardson 15 (22)

Chris Gayle 10 (10)

Deepak Chahar 4/13 (4)

Dwayne Bravo 1/10 (2)

Sam Curran 1/12 (3)

Chennai Super Kings: 107/4 (15.4) 

Moeen Ali 46 (31)

Faf du Plessis 36* (33)

Suresh Raina 8 (9)

Mohammad Shami 2/21 (4)

Arshdeep Singh 1/7 (2)

Murugan Ashwin 1/32 (3)

Man of the Match: Deepak Chahar 4/13 (4 overs)