After putting on 192/5 on board, CSK restricted KKR to 160/7, with Noor Ahmad returning excellent figures of 4-0-21-3
Chennai Super Kings' captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, second right, with teammates celebrates after taking a catch of Kolkata Knight Riders' captain Ajinkya Rahane during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 T20 cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Tuesday. (PTI Photo)
CHENNAI: The fortress is being rebuilt, brick by brick. Egged on by the vociferous Chepauk crowd, Chennai Super Kings put on a dominant show and dismantled Knight Riders by 32 runs for their second successive win here at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday. While CSK moved up the table, KKR’s season has gone from bad to worse as they’re yet to taste success in five outings.
The chase of 193 on a track that slowed down considerably proved to be a daunting task as KKR could only manage 160 for seven. CSK may have dropped three sitters — by Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dewald Brevis and Sarafaraz Khan — but their bowlers kept KKR batters on a short leash. Afghan spinner Noor Ahmed did the star turn with a brilliant spell of 3/21.
As Kolkata lost both their openers — Finn Allen and Sunil Narine — within the Powerplay, it took 7.3 overs for them to get past the 50-run mark. Noor then struck off successive deliveries to leave KKR reeling at 85 for five in 11 overs. Cameron Green, the most expensive overseas player at Rs 25.2 crore, was dismissed for a golden duck. The required rate started soaring as KKR needed 108 in 54 balls and then 62 off 18 balls.
Earlier, Super Kings appeared primed for another 200-plus total at home after storming to 72 for 2 — their most productive powerplay of the season — but the innings unravelled into a subdued 192 for five. The shift in momentum owed much to a track that slowed down and also disciplined fightback from Kolkata, spearheaded by Kartik Tyagi (2/35) and Sunil Narine (1/21).
From a position of strength at 162 for 3 in 16 overs, what followed was a dramatic slowdown: just 30 runs came in the final four overs, with only three boundaries struck and two wickets lost. The latter half of the innings was further bogged down by 27 dot balls, an indicator of KKR’s control.
Sanju Samson (48 off 32) carried forward his form from the previous game, launching three consecutive boundaries to ignite the innings. But KKR struck early through Anukul Roy, whose introduction in the third over paid immediate dividends as skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad miscued a sweep to deep midwicket, extending his lean run.
Ayush Mhatre (38 off 17) then provided the early fireworks. He dismantled Cameron Green for 21 runs in a single over, punctuated by two towering sixes, including a stylish hit over deep backward square leg. He followed it up by taking on Vaibhav Arora’s short-ball tactic, cracking three successive boundaries before falling to the same ploy for a brisk 38 off 17 balls.
CSK surged to 102 for 2 at the 10-over mark, with Dewald Brevis riding his luck — a leading edge off Narine dropping safely into no-man’s land. Samson looked set for a half-century, even taking on Tyagi’s pace, who clocked consistently above 140 kmph, with a commanding six over mid-off. But Tyagi had the final word, knocking him over with a searing 148 kmph delivery, leaving Samson two short off a half-century.
KKR’s spinners then tightened the screws. Varun Chakravarthy, returning after injury, began economically, conceding just a boundary in his first two overs. Narine complemented him with precision, sending down seven dot balls in his opening three overs and finishing with impressive figures of 4-0-21-1.
Though Varun’s third over briefly leaked 15 runs with Sarfaraz Khan clearing long-on and Brevis (41 off 29) finding the fence twice, the broader narrative remained unchanged.
As Kolkata lost both their openers — Finn Allen and Sunil Narine — within the Powerplay, it took 7.3 overs for them to get past the 50-run mark. Noor then struck off successive deliveries to leave KKR reeling at 85 for five in 11 overs. Cameron Green, the most expensive overseas player at Rs 25.2 crore, was dismissed for a golden duck. The required rate started soaring as KKR needed 108 in 54 balls and then 62 off 18 balls.
Earlier, Super Kings appeared primed for another 200-plus total at home after storming to 72 for 2 — their most productive powerplay of the season — but the innings unravelled into a subdued 192 for five. The shift in momentum owed much to a track that slowed down and also disciplined fightback from Kolkata, spearheaded by Kartik Tyagi (2/35) and Sunil Narine (1/21).
From a position of strength at 162 for 3 in 16 overs, what followed was a dramatic slowdown: just 30 runs came in the final four overs, with only three boundaries struck and two wickets lost. The latter half of the innings was further bogged down by 27 dot balls, an indicator of KKR’s control.
Sanju Samson (48 off 32) carried forward his form from the previous game, launching three consecutive boundaries to ignite the innings. But KKR struck early through Anukul Roy, whose introduction in the third over paid immediate dividends as skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad miscued a sweep to deep midwicket, extending his lean run.
Ayush Mhatre (38 off 17) then provided the early fireworks. He dismantled Cameron Green for 21 runs in a single over, punctuated by two towering sixes, including a stylish hit over deep backward square leg. He followed it up by taking on Vaibhav Arora’s short-ball tactic, cracking three successive boundaries before falling to the same ploy for a brisk 38 off 17 balls.
CSK surged to 102 for 2 at the 10-over mark, with Dewald Brevis riding his luck — a leading edge off Narine dropping safely into no-man’s land. Samson looked set for a half-century, even taking on Tyagi’s pace, who clocked consistently above 140 kmph, with a commanding six over mid-off. But Tyagi had the final word, knocking him over with a searing 148 kmph delivery, leaving Samson two short off a half-century.
KKR’s spinners then tightened the screws. Varun Chakravarthy, returning after injury, began economically, conceding just a boundary in his first two overs. Narine complemented him with precision, sending down seven dot balls in his opening three overs and finishing with impressive figures of 4-0-21-1.
Though Varun’s third over briefly leaked 15 runs with Sarfaraz Khan clearing long-on and Brevis (41 off 29) finding the fence twice, the broader narrative remained unchanged.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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