The Chennai Super Kings’ lowest total at home in Indian Premier League history had led to their fifth consecutive loss.
Sunil Narine’s brilliance with ball and bat led Kolkata Knight Riders to an eight-wicket win with nearly 10 overs to spare on Friday.
Chennai avoided their lowest ever total — 79 — but their 9-103 at Chepauk was hardly less embarrassing a day after the 43-year-old Mahendra Singh Dhoni was handed back the captaincy in the absence of the injured Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Kolkata’s spin trio of Narine, Varun Chakravarthy and Moeen Ali all strangled the home team with combined bowling figures of 12-1-55-6, while their prowess meant KKR couldn’t find any room in their side for Australian seamer Spencer Johnson.
After taking 3-13, Narine then bludgeoned 44 off just 18 balls with five sixes and two fours and motored Kolkata to their target of 2-107 in just 10.1 overs.
Kolkata’s rampant chase lifted them to third on the table, six points behind the Gujarat Titans and unbeaten Delhi Capitals.
Chennai, following an unprecedented third straight home loss, remain just above the bottom-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad.
After his starring role with the ball, Narine was in a hurry to lead Kolkata’s electrifying chase, with Quinton de Kock also smashing three sixes in a 23-run knock.
Both left-handers whacked pace bowler Khaleel Ahmed (0-40) and didn’t spare spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who conceded 30 off his three overs.
De Kock and Narine were clean-bowled and captain Ajinkya Rahane and Rinku Singh finished off Chennai’s biggest defeat in terms of balls remaining.
Dhoni wanted to bat first after he lost the toss and Kolkata obliged him along with lining up ideal match-ups with its spinners.
Ali was specifically drafted for the left-handed opening pair of Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra. The off-spinner bowled a maiden over in the power play and got the wicket of the New Zealander Conway, lbw to an over-ambitious reverse sweep.
Ravindra struggled and gave a leading edge to Harshit Rana.
Vijay Shankar escaped two dropped catches in his team-high 29 and his luck finally ran out in the 10th over when he holed out to backward square leg against Chakravarthy.
Rahul Tripathi, playing in place of Gaikwad, couldn’t read Narine, and Ravichandran Ashwin’s promotion lasted seven balls for one run.
Impact player Deepak Hooda couldn’t turn the fortunes for Chennai as he chipped a catch to midwicket for a four-ball duck, then Dhoni was lbw for one to Narine. At that point, 8-75, Chennai were in danger of their lowest ever IPL total.
But Shivam Dube, 31 not out, at least spared Chennai that indignity.
Content Source: www.perthnow.com.au