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Yuvraj Singh’s unbeaten 58-run blitzkrieg turned out to be an exercise in futility as Chennai Super Kings survived some torrid moments before eking out a 12-run win against Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League here on Thursday.
Chasing a mammoth 187 runs from 18 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis method, the Punjab side eventually managed 174 for three, largely due to Yuvraj (58 not out), Simon Katich (50) and Mahela Jayawardene (44 not out).
Lot was expected of Yuvraj and the Kings XI captain, dropped by Gony in the deep off Muttiah Muralitharan, seemed luck on his side as well.
With both him and Jayawardene going great guns, the target looked only stiff and not impossible but Suresh Raina bowled a tight penultimate over, conceding just six runs, and Kings XI could score only 10 of the last over from Balaji.
Earlier, Hayden slammed a 58-ball 89 and Dhoni hammered an unbeaten 56 off just 27 balls as the Chennai outfit posted a mammoth 185 for three in the rain-marred tie which was reduced to 18-overs-a-side following a 90-minute rain interruption.
Albie Morkel castled Sunny Sohal (2) with the second ball of the innings and Shadab Jakati’s second delivery too turned out to be a wicket-taking one, accounting for Karan Goel (14) as Kings XI stumbled early in their chase. Simon Katich (50) decided offence is the best defence and the result was three sixes in a row off Manpreet Gony’s first over. Jakati also copped some punishment before catching the left-hander near the ropes off L Balaji to cut short Katich’s two-run-a-ball knock.
Earlier, Hayden and Dhoni added 100 runs in eight overs as Chennai Super Kings posted a mammoth total. And that too after they had a rather ominous start following Dhoni’s decision to bat first. Chennai run-machines Hayden and Suresh Raina (32) clearly didn’t hold the Punjab attack in very high esteem.