IANS/Mohali
Table-toppers Chennai Super Kings (CSK) assured themselves of a spot in the Indian Premier League Qualifier 1 as they registered a seven-wicket victory over Kings XI Punjab in a league encounter yesterday.
Two-time champions CSK finished their league campaign with 18 points, while all of the five higher placed teams have only a game left to play and they have 15 or 14 points.
CSK put up a strong bowling performance and restricted KXIP to 130/7 in 20 overs. In reply, , a 92-run stand between Faf Du Plessis (55) and Suresh Raina (37 not out) got them to an easy victory, dumping last year’s runners-up KXIP to the bottom with only six points from 14 matches.
Earlier, KXIP never got it going from the start and lost wickets regularly. Young all-rounder Axar scored 32 in 28 balls and forged a 44-run stand for the seventh wicket with Rishi Dhawan (not out 25) to ensure that they cross the 100-run mark.
KXIP lost three wickets inside the first six Powerplay overs. Opener Wriddhiman Saha (16) holed out at cover following a mis-hit off left-arm spinner Pawan Negi. Later, George Bailey (7) nicked off Ashish Nehra to wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The other opener Manan Vohra (4) sliced an Ishwar Pandey delivery to Nehra at third man to leave KXIP reeling at 35/3 in 5.1 overs. CSK off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had right-handed batsman Gurkeerat Singh Mann (15) stumped by Dhoni and Glenn Maxwell was clean bowled by Ravichandran Jadeja.
Negi returned to remove aggressive left-handed batsman David Miller (11) to shut the door on KXIP’s chances of a comeback. For the visitors, Negi was the most successful bowler, picking up two wickets for 25 runs in four overs. Nehra, Dwayne Bravo, Pandey, Ashwin, Jadeja took a wicket each.
In reply to the small total, CSK gave their opponents a glimmer of hope at the beginning. Veteran left-hander Michael Hussey (1) and seasoned New Zealander Brendon McCullum (6) lost their wickets to leave CSK in a spot of bother at 10/2 in two overs.
However, du Plessis and Raina brought CSK in a comfortable position. Medium pacer Dhawan broke the stand with CSK nedding just 28 runs short of the win.
Raina remained not out on 41 in 31 balls, while Dhoni made 25 in 16 balls.
Brief scores:
Kings XI Punjab 130 for 7 (Axar 32, Negi 2-25, Ashwin 1-14) lost to Chennai Super Kings 134 for 3 (Du Plessis 55, Raina 41) by 7 wickets
Chennai Super Kings’ Faf du Plessis hits out during his fifty against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali. (BCCI)
