After failing thrice against Kings XI Punjab last season, it was payback time for Chennai Super Kings as it thrashed last year’s runner-up by 97 runs on Saturday to record its fifth win of IPL-8.
Chasing 193, Kings XI could manage only 95 for nine from its 20 overs.
With this, CSK has climbed to the top of the table alongside Rajasthan Royals with 10 points from six matches, though the latter has played one game more.
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After early breakthroughs from Ashish Nehra and Ishwar Pandey, the spin duo of R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja stifled the visitors. By the halfway stage, Kings XI was 57 for five, and never really recovered.
The eight overs of spin accounted for half the side giving away a mere 36 runs, and 24 balls were not scored off.
Only M. Vijay looked comfortable; he played some delightful shots in his knock of 34 (32b, 4x4, 1x6).
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After M.S. Dhoni elected to bat, Brendon McCullum laid the foundation for a mammoth total with a typically aggressive knock of 66 (44b, 8x4, 3x6).
He and Dwayne Smith had a 50-run partnership in just 4.3 overs before Smith was bowled by Anureet Singh.
KXIP opened the attack with leg-spinner Karanveer Singh. Playing only his second match of the season, Karanveer struggled to find his length, bowling either too full or compensating by dragging it down, and was duly punished by the openers.
Smith took him for 22 runs in a single over, going down the wicket for two sixes while employing the cut and the pull when it was pitched short.
KXIP was not helped by some shoddy fielding. Mitchell Johnson dropped two simple catches, one at mid-off when McCullum on 21 in the fifth over off the game, and then at mid-wicket when Suresh Raina on 13.
McCullum and Dhoni then went after the Aussie pacer who finished with figures of none for 40.
Dhoni’s unbeaten 41 (27b, 2x4, 2x6) and Jadeja’s quickfire 18 (11b, 2x4) ensured that Super Kings ended up with a big score.
Here's the full scorecard and commentary