IPL-17 | Punjab Kings continues to rule Chennai Super Kings

Spinners Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar put the skids on the Chennai side by picking up four wickets for just 33 runs in their eight overs; Ruturaj’s half-century lone bright spot for the host

Punjab Kings’s Jonny Bairstow plays a shot during a match against Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League 2024 at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on May 1, 2024. Photo: X/@IPL via ANI

Punjab Kings spinners Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar’s miserly spell during the middle overs set the foundation for their side’s seven-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings at the MAC Stadium on Wednesday.

Opting to bowl first, PBKS restricted CSK to just 162 for seven as the spinners squeezed the runs dry without conceding a single boundary.

Chasing 163, cameos from Jonny Bairstow 46 (30b, 7x4, 1x6) and Rilee Rossouw (43, 23b, 5x4, 2x6) ensured PBKS got its fifth straight win over the five-time champion.

It was not an ideal start when CSK set out to defend the modest total, as Deepak Chahar limped off in pain on his run-up after two balls into the innings. Despite losing Prabhsimran Singh early, Bairstow and Rossouw quickly put the pressure back on the Super Kings bowlers as they added 64 for the second wicket. Rossouw straight drove and pulled Richard Gleeson before finding two more boundaries off Mustafizur Rahman in the next over.

The Chennai side’s only chance to stage a fightback was with its spinners, especially in the absence of the in-form Matheesha Pathirana (niggle) and Tushar Deshpande (illness). But Bairstow smashed Ravindra Jadeja and Moeen Ali for four boundaries and a six. Though both missed their half-centuries, Sam Curran and Shashank Singh guided their side home without further trouble.

Earlier, Super Kings started strongly and got to 55 for no loss at the end of the PowerPlay.

But what followed was a phase of play that is unthinkable in modern-day T20 cricket, as the hosts failed to score a single boundary off the bat for 55 deliveries.

Brar (two for 17) and Rahul (one for 13) sent in seven overs during this phase on a two-paced pitch that offered some turn for the tweakers.

Left-arm spinner Brar struck twice in the eighth over, slowing it down to have Rahane caught in the deep and then trapped Shivam Dube leg-before.

If not for Ruturaj’s grinding knock (62, 48b, 5x4, 2x6), CSK would not have reached the total it did. But with dew settling, it was never going to be enough.