Punjab edge out Chennai in mammoth chase

The Punjab Kings completed the highest successful IPL run chase at the MA Chidambaram Stadium against Chennai to edge out the Super Kings in a last-ball thriller by four wickets. Shikhar Dhawan’s side produced a collective effort in the chase after Devon Conway’s sublime 92 for CSK, with contributions coming from across the batting line-up to take the visitors over the line off the final delivery of the match.

Chasing 201, Punjab got an incredible start from their openers as the pair brought up the half-century stand in 25 deliveries. The skipper went after the young pacer Akash Singh, while the impact substitute Prabhsimran took on Maheesh Theekshana. Chennai managed to dismiss Dhawan for 28 and slow things down after a 62-run powerplay. Ravindra Jadeja conceded just 15 runs in his three overs through the middle and picked up two key wickets. The left-armer had Prabhsimran Singh stumped for 42 and also ended Atharve Taide’s struggle on 13.

CSK’s middle overs spin chokehold left Punjab with a tall order in the chase, leaving 82 required off the final six overs. Liam Livingstone began the Kings’ charge at the death, taking on Tushar Deshpande for three sixes and a four in the 16th before holing out to end the over on 40. Jitesh Sharma and Sam Curran launched sixes off Ravindra Jadeja to leave just 31 needed off the final three overs, but CSK responded in equal measure as Pathirana cleaned up the left-hander while Shaikh Rasheed took an important catch to remove Jitesh Sharma for 21.

The game went to the wire with nine required off the last six deliveries, and Punjab eventually emerged victorious, with Sikandar Raza finding the gaps in Pathirana’s final over to help Punjab come out on top by the barest of margins.

Earlier in the day, Devon Conway led CSK to an impressive first innings total with his fourth fifty in his last five IPL innings. Conway added another half-century stand with Ruturaj Gaikwad, adding 57 in the powerplay. Gaikwad was stumped on 37 after failing to get to the pitch of a Sikandar Raza delivery, but Conway kept CSK’s momentum going. The Kiwi brought up his half-century in 30 balls and controlled the middle overs to set CSK up for a big total.

While Conway batted through the innings to finish with an elegant 92, CSK also found some other contributions to cross the 200-run mark. Shivam Dube and Moeen Ali added brief cameos, while MS Dhoni struck two sixes in the final over, much to the delight of the CSK crowd.