CSK vs KKR IPL 2024: Chennai Super Kings ride Gaikwad, Jadeja master class to halt Kolkata Knights' victory march

CSK wins over KKR convincingly (PTI)

Chennai Super Kings returned to fortress Chepauk with yet another victory, halting Kolkata Knight Riders’ three-match winning run today, Monday. Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad carried the bat to guide CSK past a below par 138-run target with14 deliveries and seven wickets to spare.

Put in to bat, KKR were restricted to 137/9 as CSK bowlers kept striking with consistency and the home team had little trouble in overhauling the target for their third win in five matches. It was a good toss to win for Gaikwad. CSK remained in absolute control from putting KKR in first to Gaikwad finishing the match with a four off Anukul Roy.

Gaikwad-Mitchell shut the door on KKR

KKR had a nearly opportunity to make a match of it, when Rachin Ravindra (15,8b, three 4s) was held in the deep off Varun Chakravarthy. CSK lost their first wicket on 27. But Gaikwad and Daryl Mitchell shut the door on them.

Gaikwad led the charge from the front with a flawless 70-run partnership for the second wicket with Daryl Mitchell, who has been consistent, in spite of batting at different positions (at four, five and six) in the last four games.

Coming in at No. 3, Mitchell scored 25 (19b, one 4, one 6) in the supporting role with his captain. With no pressure whatsoever, Gaikwad picked the opportunity to get his act right.

The CSK captain had failed with the bat thrice in the last four games. He made no mistake today to raise the match-winning 63* (57b, nine 4s), the highest at the Chepauk today. Where KKR batters had struggled to put bat to the ball, Gaikwad made good use of his feet and crease to stay on top of the opposition.

Shivam Dube fireworks and MSD guest appearance

Shivam Dube set the packed MA Chidambaram Stadium on fire with 18-ball28 (one 4, three 6s) and then MS Dhoni took the decibel levels to unprecedented high with his yet another "guest appearance" with the bat. Every cricket fan is celebrating the journey and achievements of the Indian and Chennai cricket icon in his last season on the IPL horizon.

Jadeja bowls KKR out of match

Sunil Narine and Angkrish Raghuvanshi were busy wresting the initiative after CSK pacer Tushar Deshpande dismissed in-form opener Phil Salt off the first ball of the match. KKR were very much in the game with 56/1in the powerplay. Narine and Raghuvanshi were dictating terms.

Jadeja turned the game on its head, striking twice in his first over. Raghuvanshi (24, 18b, three 4s, one 6) was trapped lbw off the first ball by the left-arm spinner. Four legitimate deliveries later, Narine (27,20b, three 4s, two 6s) was held at long off by Maheesh Theekshana.

Icing on the cake for Jadeja, he held Shreyas off Mustafizur Rehman for his milestone 100th catch in IPL. Jadeja downplayed the feat, saying “I don’t count catches”.

KKR trapped in spin web

As the Chennai spinners – Jadeja (3/18),Theekshana (1/28),and Rachin Ravindra (1-0-4-0)– operated in tandem after the sixth over, KKR captain Shreyas and his fellow batters didn't get a boundary for 34balls. KKR, coming into the match with three back to back wins, were trapped in the spin web at the Chepauk, where the home team spinners were without a wicket in their last two matches.

Mustafijur returns to regain Purple Cap

CSK missed Mustafizur Rahman in the loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last match. The Bangladesh pacer, who had to go home to secure his US visa for the T20 World Cup, continued from where he had left, as the tournament’s most successful bowler.

Mustafizur had to wait for his two wickets, Shreyas (34, 32b, three 4s) and Starc (0), used his slower ones to good effect. In his first three overs, he didn’t allow the batters to take much liberty and the twin strikes in the fourth earned him back the Purple Cap, donned by the leading wicket-taker in the tournament.

Deshpande gets rid of KKR dangermen

Deshpande too had his day in the middle, signing off with three wickets - the scalps of KKR dangermen Rinku Singh and Andre Russell and his success of the first ball of the innings.

On a wicket where 175  looked to be the par score, KKR were stopped at 137/9 by CSK. The hosts effectively won the battle with the ball, batters just needed to go through the motions. The korbo...lodbo... jeetbo... side was left with not much to do... fight...and win.

Scores: 

KKR137/9 (Shreyas Iyer 34, Sunil Narine 27, Ravindra Jadeja 3/18, Tushar Deshpande 3/33, Mustafizur Rahman 2/22) lost to CSK 141/3 (Ruturaj Gaikwad 67*, Shivam Dube 28, Daryl Mitchell 25, Vaibhav Arora2/28).