Shikhar Dhawan hit a brilliant 88 not out to beat Ambati Rayudu in the battle of batting skills as Punjab Kings beat Chennai Super Kings by 11 runs in an IPL thriller on Monday.
After being asked to bat, Dhawan scored nine fours and two sixes in his 59-ball unbeaten innings that helped Punjab reach 187-4 after being asked to do so. Punjab then kept CSK at 176 for 6 even though Rayudu hit a brilliant 39-ball 78 with seven fours and six sixes.
Dhawan also became only the second player after Virat Kohli to score 6,000 runs in the IPL. This was a big deal for him.
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During the 16th over, Rayudu hit three sixes and a four to score 23 runs. CSK needed 70 runs from the last five overs to win the game.
In the next over, Arshdeep Singh only let in six runs. In the 19th, he let in eight, which tipped the scales in Punjab’s favor.
CSK still needed 35 runs from 13 balls after Kagiso Rabada (2/23) took out Rayudu in the 18th over. Mahendra Singh Dhoni (12) and captain Ravindra Jadeja (21 not out) were in the middle with Rayudu.
It was time for Dhoni to do what he did against Mumbai Indians in the previous match. CSK needed 27 from the last over, and another stage was set for him to do what he did there.
Dhoni hit Rishi Dhawan (2/39) for a six during the first ball. Two balls later, the legendary wicketkeeper batter was caught at deep midwicket as CSK lost.
This was CSK’s sixth loss in eight games, while Punjab won their fourth game in eight. CSK lost Robin Uthappa in the first over, then Mitchell Santner in the second. The defending champions could only score 32 from the power play overs.
Showed promise: Shivam Dube made seven runs in eight balls as CSK were bowled out for 40 in seven overs.
Veteran Rayudu, who has been with the team for a long time, did an excellent job for CSK in this match. He hit a big six off Rishi Dhawan to make CSK 69 for three at the halfway point.
Another six from Liam Livingstone kept him going against the Punjab bowlers. Rayudu and Ruturaj Gaikwad put CSK on top with their partnership (30).
Because Gaikwad was out in the 13th over, they broke up, though. Rayudu, on the other hand, was going very well. He hit a six off of Rahul Chahar to reach 50 from 28 balls.
It was still not easy for CSK because they had to score 70 from the last three overs.
The 36-year-old Dhawan hit his second 50 of the season and led the way for Punjab. He and Sri Lankan Bhanuka Rajapaksa (42) made a 110-run stand for the second wicket in 11.3 overs after captain Mayank Agarwal was bowled out in the first over.
When Dhawan played Mumbai Indians in Pune, he scored 70 points. That was his highest score of the season so far.
Rajapaksa helped Dhawan make 42 from 32 balls with two fours and three sixes. The pair kept the CSK bowlers at bay for a long time.
In the IPL auction, Liam Livingstone, an Englishman, was bought for Rs 11.5 crore. He played a little cameo of 19 runs off seven balls with the help of four and two sixes at the end to help Punjab’s score.
It took Punjab a long time to get going when they were batting. Their captain Agarwal’s bad luck this season continued when he was out over for 18 off 21 balls in the sixth over. After the power play, they were 37 for 1.
It wasn’t easy for Dhawan and Rajapaksa because they played both singles and doubles, but they kept the scoreboard going. After half an hour, Punjab was 72 for 1 with the help of the two.
Because Punjab only lost one wicket in the first half of their innings, they could capitalize on that in the second half.
They made 64 runs in the last five overs.
