IPL 2024: Stopped in their tracks

Chennai, April 8

Ravindra Jadeja made optimal use of a tacky Chepauk surface as Chennai Super Kings were back to winning ways after they comfortably outclassed Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets in an IPL match here today.

It was CSK’s third win in five games, all of which have come at Chepauk, having lost the last two matches away from home.

100 Jadeja became the fifth player in the IPL to take 100 catches. He is also the second Chennai Super Kings’ player to reach the milestone

I always enjoy my bowling on this track. I was hoping the ball grips a little, if you bowl in the right areas it helps you. For visiting teams, it takes time to settle in… to come here, play and identify the surface is little difficult. We know our conditions better. Ravindra Jadeja, player of the match

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Phenomenal start in the powerplay but we couldn’t capitalise. Couldn’t assess conditions, pitch completely changed after powerplay and to score runs, it wasn’t easy. They know conditions pretty well. Shreyas Iyer, KKR captain

Jadeja, whose spin bowling has often taken a back seat in past few seasons, took three wickets in space of eight deliveries to clinically dismantle KKR, who could only manage 137/9 on a track where stroke-making became difficult.

The chase wasn’t a problem as skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 58-ball 67 and was duly supported by Daryl Mitchell (25 off 19 balls) and Shivam Dube (28 off 18 balls) as they romped home in 17.4 overs. Fittingly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni was present in the middle when they finally got the winning runs.

The match was a typical one from the CSK playbook, where they always apply the choke with their spinners on a surface where the ball grips, and then their top-order controls the chase.

“ It was tacky, wasn’t easy to go big right from first ball. It changed tremendously after powerplay and the way we were trying to construct our innings, it didn’t go according to the plan,” KKR captain Shreyas Iyer said.

Brief scores: KKR: 137/9 in 20 overs (Iyer 34, Narine 27; Jadeja 3/18, Deshpande 3/33); CSK: 141/3 in 17.4 overs (Gaikwad 67*, Dube 28; Vaibhav 2/28, Narine 1/30). — PTI

Punjab Kings seek home comfort

Mullanpur: An inconsistent Punjab Kings will hope to come out with an attacking display to match the ultra-aggressive approach of Sunrisers Hyderabad as the two teams clash in a mid-table battle in the IPL here tomorrow.

Both SRH and PBKS have two wins and two losses from their four matches to be tied with two other teams in the middle with four points and they will be desperate to break out of the mid-table logjam first.

Both the teams are coming into the match after a win and it could well be a battle of the powerplay when they face off at the the newly-built Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Cricket Stadium, which will be hosting its second IPL game.