IPL 2021 Punjab Kings vs Chennai Super Kings highlights: Chahar, Ali shine in CSK's clinical win

Match Synopsis: Deepak Chahar picked 4/13 to rip apart Punjab Kings' top-order. PBKS' new-comer Shahrukh Khan hit 47 from 36 balls but there was no contribution from any other batsmen as PBKS finished on just 106/8. Moeen Ali's 46 from 31 balls and Faf du Plessis's 36 off 31 deliveries guided CSK to 107/4 in just 15.4 overs. Chahar won the Player of the Match award for his spell of 4/13.

So, CSK open their account in this year's IPL with a clinical win over PBKS. And with a thumping win they have moved second on the points table with 2 points and a healthy net run rate of +0.616. PBKS have slipped to seventh on the points table. Every team has played two games and only one team remains unbeaten and that is RCB. They are sitting at the top of the points table after winning both their games.

That would be all from the coverage of this match. Tomorrow, MI face SRH at MA Chidambaram in Chennai. Join us for the coverage of that match. For now it is time to say goodnight!

Player of the Match

CSK's Deepak Chahar wins the Player of the Match award for a stunning spell of 4-1-13-4. His wickets included Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Deepak Hooda and Nicholas Pooran.

Deepak Chahar: I think Mayank's wicket I enjoyed the most. It was a dream ball for a bowler to swing and hit top of off stump. You want to pitch it close to middle and then move to hit top of off. When the catch went to Ruturaj, I wanted Jadeja to be there because he's the one fielder who can take the difficult ones. Hopefully, I can deliver in some more matches. As a bowler, my plan is to bowl dots if I don't take wickets. The bowlers from the other end will also be able to take wickets.

MS Dhoni, CSK skipper:This win feels very good. It has been a very long journey. These are very different conditions, a very interesting journey. I think 2011 was the last time we were very happy with the Chennai wicket. After that however hard the groundsmen tried we were not happy with the wicket. Especially after relaying the ball doesn't come on to the bat nicely. Here we have a very good pitch. Movement off the seam, bounce, and runs. Chahar is somebody who has developed at a death-overs bowler too. As a bowling unit, we have more resources. I was looking to attack, so bowled his four overs and it helps in becoming fit because to bowl 4 successive overs you need to be fit. We wanted Moeen to bat high because we wanted to make the best use of the resources we have. I thought the LBW shout (against SRK) was high. So told him no we are not reviewing. I have always felt DRS is there to take the howlers away and not just to take a chance.

KL Rahul, PBKS captain: There's not much more to say. If any team loses five wickets in the first seven or eight overs, it's always going to be catch-up. They bowled well, we played some bad shots, that's how the game goes. It (pitch) was a lot more sticky and tacky than what it looked like. Credit to the CSK bowlers, they bowled in the right channels, Deepak with his knuckleballs got a couple of wickets, getting myself run-out doesn't help the team. Just the way we started, the pitch was still okay, it wasn't a 100-110 wicket, maybe 150-160 sort of a wicket. But, it's a good learning for us, hopefully we can learn from these mistakes and come back stronger in the next game. We have pace in our attack, we obviously want to use that. The first game didn't go too well for those two (Richardson and Meredith), it was their first game and I am sure they were a bit nervous. That was the chat after the game as well, that's how IPL goes. It can be tough and cruel. Their plans were clear, they did execute it pretty well. It was good to see that they came back stronger this game and they gave us crucial breakthroughs. We'd like to review ourselves on the key points that we speak about before the game and if we stuck to those plans. Last game we got 220, in this game we couldn't get even half of it. It's important that we learn from our mistakes and that's the sort of team we want to be. We still want to go out there and play fearless cricket. It's T20 cricket, more often than not you'll score big runs but there'll be one or two games in a season where you lose wickets like this. It's important that we take it on the chin and move forward and get better next game.

CSK 107/4 after 15.4

Meredith to bowl.

15.1Meredith todu Plessis, 1 run, short ball, du PLessis hits the ball to backward square-leg for a single.

15.2Meredith to Curran, dot, slow full ball, Curran works the ball just around the corner.

15.3Meredith to Curran, dot, back of the length ball on off stump, Curran hits the ball to backward point.

15.4Meredith to Curran, FOUR! Short ball on off stump, Curran pulls and sends the ball to backward square-leg for a boundary and seal the match for CSK!!!!!!!!

15.5

15.6

CSK 102-4 after 15 overs.

Shami to bowl.

14.1Shami to Raina, 2 runs, short ball, Raina pulls and the ball lobs high in the air before falling in no man's land as Raina completes a couple.

14.2Shami to Raina, WICKET! CAUGHT! Bouncer, Raina goes for pull but gloves the ball straight to KL Rahul.

Ambati Rayudu walks out to bat.

14.3Shami to Rayudu, WICKET! Short ball on off stump, Rayudu comes out of his crease and plays the ball high in the air and Pooran takes a good catch.

Sam Curran walks out to bat.

14.4Shami to du Plessis, 1 run, slow full ball on middle and leg, du Plessis drives the ball down to deep mid-wicket for a couple.

14.5Shami to Curran, 1 run, short ball on off stump, Curran hits the ball down to sweeper cover for a single.

14.6Shami to du Plessis, 1 run, full ball on off stump, du Plessis hits the ball down to long-on for a single.

CSK 97/2 after 14 overs.

Meredith to bowl.

13.1Meredith to Raina, WIDE! Short ball fired down the leg side.

13.1Meredith to Raina, dot, short ball, Raina ducks and leaves the ball for Rahul.

13.2Meredith to Raina, dot, short ball wide of off stump, Raina looks to hit the ball to off side but misses.

13.3 Meredith to Raina, dot, slow short ball, Raina looks to pull, the ball takes the inside edge and the ball rolls to Rahul.

13.4Meredith to Raina, 1 run, short ball around leg, Raina moves across and plays the ball to the leg side for a single.

13.5Meredith to du Plessis, dot, bouncer, du Plessis looks to pull and the ball goes past du Plessis on its way to the keeper, Rahul appeals for a caught behind, the on filed umpire refers the decision to first check for a no-ball, the replay shows that the ball in alright, then the third umpire checks for caught behind, and the replay shows that there is no nick on the ball.

13.6Meredith to du PLesssi, dot, back of the length ball, du PLessis hits the ball to deep mid-wicket.

CSK 95/2 after 13 overs.

Ashwin to bowl.

12.1Ashwin to Ali, SIX! Full length ball on off stump, Ali slogs and sends the ball flying over deep mid-wicket for a maximum!!!!

12.2Ashwin to Ali, dot, full and fast delivery wide of off stump, Ali swings his bat once more but this time the ball away from his arc.

12.3Ashwin to Ali, WICKET!CAUGHT! Full and fast ball on off stump and Ali hits the ball straight into the hands of the man at deep mid-wicket.

Suresh Raina walks out to bat.

12.4 Ashwin to Raina, dot, full ball wide of off stump, Raina looks to hit the ball but fails.

12.5Ashwin to Raina, FOUR! Full ball on off stump, Raina punches the ball straight down the ground.

12.6Ashwin to Raina, 1 run, full ball, Raina drives the ball to sweeper cover for a single.

CSK 84/1 after 12 overs.

to bowl.

11.1Richardson to du Plessis, no run, full ball on middle and leg, du Plessis hits the ball to mid-wicket where Gayle puts in a dive and stops the ball.

11.2Richardson to du Plessis, no run, slow full ball on off stump, du Plessis swings his bat but misses.

11.3Richardson to du Plessis, 2 runs, back of the length ball on off stump, du PLessis steps out of his crease and hits the ball to mid-off, an over throw gifts du PLessis a couple.

11.4Richardson to du Plessis, FOUR! Good length ball on off stump, du Plessis drives the ball through extra-cover for a boundary.

11.5Richardson to du Plessis, 1 run, full ball on middle and leg, du Plessis hits the ball down to long-on for a single.

11.6Richardson to Ali, 1 run, short ball on off stump, ALi hits the ball down to third-man for a single.

CSK 74/1 after 10 overs.

Shami to bowl.

10.1Shami to Ali, dot, good bouncer on off stump, and the ball races past Ali on its way to Rahul.

10.2Shami to Ali, FOUR! Short ball on off stump, Ali swings his bat and sends the ball down to deep mid-wicket for a boundary.

10.3Shami to Ali, dot, full ball on off stump, Ali plays the ball around the corner.

10.4Shami to Ali, 2 runs, full length ball on off stump, Ali drives the ball down to deep mid-wicket for a couple.

10.5Shami to Ali, dot, yorker on middle stump, Ali brings his bat down in time to block the ball.

10.6Shami to Ali, FOUR! Full ball wide of off stump, Ali hammers the ball wide of the man at mid-off for a boundary.

CSK 64/1 after 10 overs.

Ashwin to bowl.

9.1Ashwin to du Plessis, FOUR! Short ball wide of off stump, du Plessis cuts and sends the ball wide of the man at backward point for a boundary.

9.2Ashwin to du Plessis, 1 run, full ball on middle and leg, du Plessis hits the ball down to deep mid-wicket for a single.

9.2Ashwin to Ali, WIDE! Short ball fired down the leg side.

9.3Ashwin to Ali, 2 run, full delivery on off stump, Ali drives the ball through extra-cover for a couple.

9.4Ashwin to Ali, dot, full ball on middle stump, Ali drives the ball back to Ashwin.

9.5Ashwin to Ali, 2 runs, short and wide, Ali hits the ball through cover for a couple.

9.6Ashwin to Ali, 1 run, short ball, Ali plays the ball to the leg side for a single.

CSK 53/1 after 9 overs.

Meredith to bowl.

8.1Meredith to Ali, FOUR! Full and fast ball wide of off stump, Ali drives the ball through exta-cover for a boundary.

8.2Meredith to Ali, dot, slow full ball wide of off stump, Ali looks to drive but misses.

8.3Meredith to Ali, 1 run, back of the length ball on middle and leg, Ali plays the ball to the leg side for a single.

8.4Meredith to du Plessis, dot, slow full ball around off, du Plessis plays the ball to off side.

8.5Meredith to du Plessis, 1 run, back of the length ball on off stump, the ball nips back in and takes the inside edge and rolls to fine leg as du Plessis takes a single.

8.6Meredith to Ali, dot, slow full length ball on off and middle stump, Ali pushes the ball to the leg side.

CSK 37/1 after 7 overs.

Arshdeep to bowl.

6.1Arshdeep to du Plessis, dot, slow bouncer around off, du Plessis pulls, the ball takes the inside edge and just rolls around the corner.

6.2Arshdeep to du Plessis, dot, good length ball on off stump, du Plessis hits the ball to cover.

6.3Arshdeep to du Plessis, 1 run, good length ball on off stump, du Plessis guides the ball down to third-man for a run.

6.4Arshdeep to Ali, dot, slow good length ball on off stump, Ali plays the ball to the leg side.

6.5Arshdeep to Ali, dot, slow good length ball on off stump, Ali blocks the ball.

6.6Arshdeep to Ali, FOUR! Back of the length ball on off stump, Ali pulls and sends the ball just wide of the man at short mid-wicket for a boundary.

CSK 32/1 after 6 overs.

Riley Meredithto bowl. MOeen Ali walks out to bat.

5.1 Meredithto Ali, dot,

5.2Meredithto Ali, FOUR! Fuller delivery on off stump, Ali drives the ball through extra-cover for a boundary.

5.3Meredithto Ali, dot, slow full delivery on off stump, Ali prods his bat and the ball goes past the edge of the bat.

5.4Meredithto Ali, dot, full length ball wide of off stump, Ali looks to drive but the ball goes past the edge of the bat.

5.5Meredithto Ali, dot, back of the length ball on middle and leg stump, Ali drops his wrists to leave the ball for Rahul.

5.6Meredithto Ali, FOUR! Full length ball wide of off stump, Ali drives the ball through cover for a boundary.

CSK 24/1 after 5 overs.

Arshdeep Singh to bowl.

4.1Arshdeep to Gaikwad, dot, slow full length delivery on off stump, Gaikwad plays the ball to the off side.

4.2Arshdeep to Gaikwad, 1 run, short ball on off stump, Gaikwad hits the ball to cover for a single.

4.3Arshdeep to du Plesssis, 1 run, back of the length ball on off stump, du Plessis hits the ball through cover for a single.

4.4Arshdeep to Gaikwad, dot, back of the length ball on off stump, Gaikwad guides the ball to backward point.

4.5Arshdeep to Gaikwad, dot, fuller ball on off stump, Gaikward drives the ball to backward point.

4.6Arshdeep to Gaikwad, WICKET! CAUGHT! Arshdeep bangs the ball short, Gaikwad pulls and the ball flies to deep mid-wicket where Deepak Hooda takes a comfortable catch.

CSK 22/0 after 4 overs.

Richardson to bowl.

3.1Richardson to du Plessis, dot, full and straight delivery on off stump, du Plessis blocks the ball.

3.2Richardson to du Plessis, FOUR! Good length ball on middle and leg, du Plessis makes room and cracks the ball through extra-cover for a boundary.

3.3Richardson to du Plessis, dot, good length ball on middle and leg stump, du Plessis steps out of his crease and hits the ball to mid-on.

3.4Richardson to du Plessis, FOUR! Full ball drifting down leg, du Plessis hits the ball down to fine-leg for a boundary.

3.5Richardson to du Plessis, dot, slow ball on off stump, the ball keeps a bit low and du Plessis blocks the ball.

3.6Richardson to du Plessis, SIX! Full ball on off stump, du Plessis kneels and scoops to send the ball flying over deep backward square-leg.

CSK 8/0 after 3 overs.

Shami to bowl.

2.1 Shami to Gaikwad, dot,

2.2 Shami to Gaikwad, dot,

2.3Shami to Gaikwad, 1 run, good length delivery on off stump, Gaikwad guides the ball through backward point for a single.

2.4Shami to du Plessis, 1 run, fuller delivery on off stump, du Plessis hits the ball to mid-on for a single.

2.5Shami to Gaikwad, 1 run, full ball on off stump, Gaikwad gets a leading edge and the ball rolls to cover.

2.6Shami to Gaikwad, 1 run, full ball, du Plessis drives the ball to mid-off for a single.

CSK 4/0 after 2 overs.

Jhye Richardson to bowl.

1.1Richardson to du Plessis, 1 Leg Bye, full delivery drifting down leg, the ball hits the pads and goes to the leg side as du Plessis takes a single.

1.2Richardson to Gaikwad, dot, good length ball on off stump, Gaikwad blocks the ball with a straight bat.

1.3Richardson to Gaikwad, dot, fuller delivery on middle and leg stump, Gaikwad drives the balll down to mid-on.

1.4Richardson to Gaikwad, 1 run, full ball wide of off stump, Gaikwad steps out and hits the ball over cover for a single.

1.5Richardson to du Plessis, dot, good length ball on off stump, du Plessis drives the ball to cover.

1.6Richardson to du Plessis, dot, good length ball on off stump, du Plessis blocks the ball.

CSK 2/0 after 1 over.

Mohammed Shami to bowl the first over of the inning.

0.1Shami to Gaikwad, 1 run, full length ball on off stump, Gaikwad drives the ball down to mid-on for a single.

0.2Shami to du Plessis, dot, full ball on off stump, the ball nips back in and raps on the pads.

0.3Shami to du Plessis, 1 run, back of the length ball drifting down leg, du Plessis plays the ball to the leg side for a single.

0.4Shami to Gaikwad, dot, full ball wide on off stump, Gaikwad goes for a drive, the ball takes the inside edge and goes on one bounce to KL Rahul.

0.5Shami to Gaikwad, dot, back of the length ball on off stump,Gaikwad hits the ball to cover.

0.6Shami to Gaikwad, dot, back of the length ball on off stump, the ball comes back in and hits the pads.

CSK's chase is about to get underway! PBKS players are in a huddle with KL Rahul giving an animated talk to his team. Outcome Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad to open the inning for CSK.

PBKS 106/8 after 20 overs.

Curran to bowl the last over.

19.1Curran toShahrukh, WIDE! Full delivery way outside the off stump.

19.1Curran toShahrukh, WICKET! CAUGHT! Back of the length ball on off stump, Shahrukh plays the ball high in the air and Jadeje runs in from deep and takes a good catch.

Riley Meredithwalks out to bat,

19.2Curran to Shami, dot, slow full ball wide of off stump, Shami swings but misses to conncet.

19.3Curran to Shami, 2 runs, back of the length ball, Shami hits the ball to deep midwicket for a couple

19.4Curran to Shami, 2 run, full and wide ball awy from off stump, Shami hits the ball over point for a couple.

19.5Curran to Shami, no run, slow ball wide of off stump, a swing and a miss from Shami,

19.6 Curran to Shami, 1 run, slow ball, Shami hits the ball to off side for a single.

PBKS 100/7 after 19 overs.

Bravo to bowl.

18.1Bravo to Shami, 1 run, back of the length ball, Shami nudges the ball to mid-wicket for a single.

18.2Bravo to Shahrukh, 1 run, good length ball, Shahrukh plays the ball to long-off for a single.

18.3 Bravo to Shami, dot, slow back of the length ball on middle and leg, Shami is early in his pull as he misses and the ball goes to Dhoni.

18.4Bravo to Shami, dot, slow full ball on middle and leg, Shami goes for a big shot but misses.

18.5Bravo to Shami, 2 runs, full ball on leg stump, Shami hits the ball to deep mid-wicket for a couple.

18.6Bravo to Shami, dot, slow full ball on leg, the ball raps on the pads

PBKS 96/7 after 18 overs.

Thakur to bowl.

17.1Thakur to Shahrukh, WIDE! Full delivery fired way outside the off stump.

17.1Thakur to Shahrukh, 1 run, good length ball on off stump, Shahrukh hits the ball to sweeper cover for a single.

17.2Thakur to Shami, 1 run, full length delivery wide of off stump, Shami hits the ball over backward point for a single.

17.3 Thakur to Shahrukh, dot, slow good length ball on off stump, Shahrukh goes for a wild swing but misses.

17.4Thakur to Shahrukh, dot, slow good length ball on off stump, Shahrukh goes for another wild swing but fails to connect again.

17.5Thakur to Shahrukh, 2 runs. full ball on off stump, Shahrukh drives the ball down to deep mid-wicket for a couple.

17.6Thakur to Shahrukh, FOUR! Short ballwide of of off stump, Shahrukh swings his bat, the ball takes the end of the bat and flies over Dhoni for a boundary.

PBKS 87/7 after 17 overs.

Dwayne Bravo to bowl.

16.1 Bravo to Ashwin, 1run, back of the length ball on middle and leg stump, Ashwin guides the ball to the leg side for a single.

16.2Bravo to Shahrukh, dot, full ball on off stump, Shahrukh hits the ball back to Bravo.

16.3Bravo to Shahrukh, FOUR! Full delivery on off stump, Shahrukh swings his bat and sends the ball down to long-on for a boundary.

16.4Bravo to Shahrukh, 1 run, full delivery on off stump, Shahrukh plays the ball to teh leg side for a single.

16.5Bravo to Ashwin, WICKET! CAUGHT! Slow length ball on off stump, Ashwin lifts the ball in the air and du Plessis takes a good catch at extra-cover.

Mohammed Shami walks out to bat.

16.6Bravo to Shami, dot, good length ball on off stump, Shami hits the ball to backward point.

PBKS 81/6 after 16 overs.

Thakur to bowl.

15.1Thakur to Shahrukh, 2 runs,short and wide, Shahrukh plays the ball to sweeper cover for a couple.

15.2Thakur to Shaharukh, FOUR! Short ball on off stump, Shahrukh whacks the ball over mid-wicket for a boundary.

15.3Thakur to Shaharukh, 1 run , full ball wide of off stump, Shahrukh drives the balll through cover for a single.

15.4Thakur to Ashwin, dot, short ball on off stump, Ashwin hits the ball to backward point.

15.5Thakur to Ashwin, dot, slow short ball wide of off stump, Ashwin leaves the ball for the keeper.

15.6Thakur to Ashwin, 1 run, short ball wide of off stump, Ashwin hits the ball through cover for a single.

PBKS 73/6 after 15 overs.

Ali to bowl.

14.1Ali to Shaharukh, SIX! Length ball on middle stump, Shahrukhg steps out of his crease and slogs the ball over deep mid-wicket.

14.2Ali to Shahrukh, 1 run, good length ball on off stump, Shahrukh plays the ball to the leg side for a single.

14.3Ali to Ashwin, 1 run, back of the length ball on middle and leg, Ashwin plays the ball to the leg side for a single.

14.4Ali to Shahrukh, 1 run, flat delivery, Shahrukh plays the ball to the leg side for a single.

14.5Ali to Ashwin, norun,

14.6 Ali to Ashwin, no run,

PBKS 61/6 after 13 overs.

Ali to bowl.

12.1Ali to Richardson, BOWLED! Short ball, Richardson goes for a pull but misses, the ball hits the stumps.

M Ashwin walks out to bat.

12.2 Ali to Ashwin, 1 run, length ball outside off, Ashwin drives the ball to off side for a run.

12.3 Ali to Shahrukh, 1 run, full delivery, Shahrukh drives the ball down to long-off for a single.

12.4 Ali to Ashwin, 1 run, Ashwin plays the ball to square-leg for a single

12.5Ali to Shahrukh, dot, full delivey, Shahrukh nudges the ball to the legh side.

12.6Ali to Ashwin, 1run, short ball, Ashwin plays the ball to the leg side.

PBKS 57/ 5 after 12 overs.

Jadeja to bowl.

11.1Jadeja to Richardson, dot, full ball, Richardson drives the ball back to the bowler.

11.2Jadeja to Richardson, dot, full ball on middle and leg, Richardson drives the ball to mid-wicket.

11.3Jadeja to Richardson, dot, back of the length ball, Richardson hits the ball to backward point.

11.4Jadeja to Richardson, FOUR! Short ball, Richardson drives the ball through extra-cover for a boundary.

11.5Jadeja to Richardson, dot, full ball, Richardson plays the ball to the on side.

11.6Jadeja to Richardson, 1 run, full ball, Richardson drives the ball down to long-on.

PBKS 48/5 after 10 overs.

Jadjea to bowl.

9.1Jadeja to Richardson, dot, full delivery fired on the pads, the ball hits the pads and goes to the leg side.

9.2Jadeja to Richardson, dot full ball on off stump, Richardson drives the ball to cover.

9.3Jadeja to Richardson, 1 run, back of the length ball on middle and leg stump, Richardson plays the ball to the leg side for a single.

9.4Jadeja to Shahrukh, dot, flat delivery outside off, Shahrukh drives the ball back to Jajdeja.

9.5Jadeja to Shahrukh, 1run, full delivery, Shahrukh plays the ball to backward sqyare-leg for a single.

9.5 Jadeja to Richardson, WIDE! Short ball fired down the leg side.

9.6 Jadeja to Richardson, full delivery, Richardson plays the ball down to deep mid-wicket.

PBKS 45/5 after 9 overs.

Thakur to bowl.

8.1Thakur to Richardson,

8.2Thakur to Richardson, 1 run, back of the length ball on off stump, Richardson hits the ball down to third-man for a single.

8.3Thakur to Shahrukh, 1 run, good length ball on off stump, Shahrukh drives the ball to cover for a single.

8.4Thakur to Richardson, 1 run, back of the length ball on middle and leg stump, Richardson plays the ball to the leg side for a single.

8.5Thakur to Shahrukh, dot, short ball which beats the batsman on its way to the keeper.

8.6Thakur to Shahrukh, FOUR! Back of the length ball wide of off stump, Shahrukh cracks the ball through extra-cover for a boundary.

PBKS 34.5 after 8 overs.

Ravindra Jadeja to bowl.

7.1 Jadeja to Shaharurkh, dot,

7.2Jadeja to Shaharurkh, dot,

7.3Jadeja to Shaharurkh, 1 run, full ball, Shahrukh drives the ball down to long-off for a single.

7.4Jadeja to Hooda, 1 run, back of the length ball on middle and leg, Hooda plays the ball to the leg side for a single.

7.5Jadeja to Shaharurkh, dot, good length ball on off stump, Shahrukh plays the ball to the off side.

7.6Jadeja to Shaharurkh, SIX! SHort ball, Shahrukh hits the ball over deep mid-wicket fence for a maximum!!!!!!

PBKS 26/5 after 7 overs.

Chahar to bowl.

6.1Chahar to Hooda, dot, length ball outside off, Hooda hits the ball to backward ponit.

6.2Chahar to Hooda, WICKET! Seam-up delivery on off stump, Hooda plays a feeble drive away from his body, and the ball lobs to Faf du Plessis at mid-off.

walks out to bat.

6.3 Chahar to Richardson, dot, full length ball wide of off stump, Richardson drives the ball to cover.

6.4Chahar to Richardson, dot, good length ball on off stump, Richardson drives the ball to mid-off.

6.5Chahar to Richardson, dot, back of the length ball on off stump, Richardson goes on his toes and blocks the ball with a straight bat.

6.6Chahar to Richardson, dot, good length ball on off stump, Richardson hits the ball to extra-cover.

PBKS 26/4 after 6 overs.

Shardul Thakur to bowl.

5.1Thakur to Hooda, dot, good length ball on off stump, Hooda hits the ball to cover.

5.2Thakur to Hooda, FOUR! Back of the length ball on off stump, Hooda smashes the ball through cover for a boundary.

5.3Thakur to Hooda, 2 runs, fuller delivery on off stump, Hooda drives the ball to extra-cover for a couple.

5.4Thakur to Hooda, dot, good length ball on off stump, Hooda drives the ball back to Thakur.

5.5Thakur to Hooda, dot, fuller ball on off stump, Hooda drives the ball to cover.

5.6Thakur to Hooda, 1 run, good length ball on off stump, Hooda drives the ball through backward point for a single.

PBKS 19/4 after 5 overs.

Chahar to bowl.

4.1Chahar to Hooda, 1 run, back of the length ball on off stump, Hooda punches the ball to cover and takes a single.

4.2 Chahar to Gayle, WICKET! CAUGHT! Full length ball on off stump, Gayle drives the ball to backward point where Jadeja puts in a stunning dive and pulls off a stunning catch. Gayle looks stunned!!!!!!

Nichollas walks out to bat.

4.3Chahar to Pooran, dot, back of the length ball wide of off stump, Pooran leaves the ball for the keeper.

4.4Chahar to Pooran, WICKET! WHAT A START FOR CSK! Chahar bangs the ball short which surprises Pooran, Pooran pulls and the ball goes straight to Shardul Thakur at deep backward square-leg.

Shahrukh Khan walks out to bat.

4.5 Chahar to Shahrukh, APPEAL FOR LBW! Full ball on off stump, the ball raps on the pads and Chahar appeals for LBW, the umpire gives the decision in the batsman's favour.

4.6Chahar to Shahrukh, dot, full length ball on middle and leg stump, Shahrukh plays the ball to the leg side.

PBKS 18/2 after 4 overs.

Curran to bowl.

3.1Curran to Hooda, dot, full and straught ball away from off stump, Hooda leaves the ball for the keeper.

3.2Curran to Hooda, dot, fuller ball on off stump, Hooda pushes the ball to cover.

3.3Curran to Hooda, dot, back of the length ball on off stump, Hooda goes back and blocks the ball with a straight bat.

3.4Curran to Hooda, dot, back of the length ball on off stump, Hooda cuts and the ball rolls to the man at backward point.

3.5Curran to Hooda, 1 run, back of the length ball on middle and leg, Hooda guides the ball behind square on the leg side for a single.

3.6Curran to Gayle, dot, short ball, Gayle ducks and leaves the ball for Dhoni.

PBKS 17/2 after 3 overs.

Chahar to bowl.

2.1Chahar to Gayle, FOUR! Full length ball on middle and leg stump, Gayle flicks the ball to square-leg for a boundary,

2.2Chahar to Gayle, FOUR! Back of the length ball wide of off stump, Gayle swings his bat, the ball takes thick outside edge and flies over Suresh Raina at slip down to third-man for a boundary,

2.3Chahar to Gayle, dot, good length ball on off stump, Gayle gets an inside edge and the ball rolls back to Dhoni.

2.4Chahar to Gayle, dot, good length ball on middle and leg stump, Gayle guides the ball to the leg side.

2.5Chahar to Gayle, WICKET! Full ball on leg stump, the ball hits the pads and goes to cover, Rahul calls Gayle for a single, Gayle responds, Jadeja at cover pounces on the ball and gets a direct hit at the batting end and KL Rahul is short of his crease. BIG BLOW FOR PUNJAB KINGS

Deepak Hooda walks out to bat.

2.5Chahar to Hooda, WIDE, short ball down the leg side.

2.6Chahar to Hooda, 1 run, good length ball on off stump, Hooda cuts the ball down to third-man for a single.

PBKS 11/1 after 2 overs.

Sam Curran to bowl.

1.1Curran to Gayle, 1 run, good length ball on off stump, Gayle pushes the ball to the off side for a single.

1.2Curran to Rahul, dot, back of the length ball on off stump, Rahul pushes the ball to cover.

1.3Curran to Rahul, dot, slightly fuller ball on middle and leg, Rahul guides the ball to the leg side.

1.4Curran to Rahul, dot, fuller delivery on off stump, Rahul blocks the ball.

1.5Curran to Rahul, FOUR! Curran straying down the leg side as Rahul helps the ball down to backward square-leg for a boundary.

1.6Curran to Rahul, dot, good length ball on off stump, Rahul drives the ball to mid-off.

PBKS 2/1 after 1 over.

Deepak Chahar to bowl the first over of the inning. KL Rahul is on strike.

0.1Chahar to Rahul, dot, full length delivery which swings into middle and leg, Rahul plays the ball to the leg side.

0.2Chahar to Rahul, 1 run, slightly back of the length ball on off stump, the ball takes the inside edge of the bat and just goes past the stumps as Rahul takes a single.

0.3Chahar to Mayank, dot, good length ball on off stump, Mayank works the ball to backward point.

0.4Chahar to Mayank, BOWLED! GREAT BALL BY CHAHAR! Full length delivery on middle stump, the ball moves away after pitching and beats the outside edge of Mayank's bat to hit the middle stump.

Chris Gayle walks out to bat.

0.5Chahar to Gayle, dot, full and straight delivery on off stump, Gayle brings his bat down in time to block the ball.

0.6Chahar to Gayle, DROPPED! Full length delivery wide of off stump, Gayle slashes the ball to Gaikwad at cover point who drops the ball as Gayle takes a single.

Right then! The action is about to commence. The umpires are on the field. CSK players wait by the boundary side. CSK players make their way to the field. And outcome KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal the two openers for Punjab Kings.

Teams

Punjab Kings: KL Rahul(w/c), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Deepak Hooda, Nicholas Pooran, Shahrukh Khan, Jhye Richardson, Murugan Ashwin, Riley Meredith, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh

Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar

KL Rahul, PBKS captain:We did well in the last game and we should try and assess the pitch and put some runs on the board. Pitch looks good. When any set batter is batting it is tough to control and I try to encourage my bowlers and even if they go for runs it's okay. Supporting them and backing them is really important. No changes for us.Same team.

MS Dhoni, CSK captain:We will bowl first. We will get hit off good deliveries but it is important to assess as a bowler. Cricket is a mental game and adaptability is a key factor. Overall it's a mental game thanphysical aspect. Looks a bit tacky and a bit more grass. A bit of dew settles down a bit and in the second innings as well, the first few overs are really crucial. We areplaying the same team.

Toss

CSK win toss and opt to field.

Pitch Report

We have a fresh pitch for today's game. There's a nice green tinge. I think it will be a good surface, it may not have as much seam movement and may not be as tacky. What we have seen in the last game here is good skills from the pacers where the Rajasthan bowlers took the pace off the ball, bowled cutters, and hit good lengths with it. You can use that or you can do what Delhi did, they bowled that nice hard length into the surface, swung and seamed the ball and that worked for them. The dew starts to fall in the back-end of the contest and yorkers will have to come in big time if you are a bowling side,says Ian Bishop.

Deccan Herald's Dream XI

KL Rahul (c and wk), Chris Gayle, Suresh Raina, Nicholas Pooran, Sam Curran, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali, Mohammad Shami, Deepak Chahar, Arshdeep Singh

Impact Player for PBKS

Chris Gayle: The high-scoring Wankhede should excite the West Indian. The ball comes onto the bat nicely and carries over the fence easily. The match should be a fun, six-hitting affair. Gayle is perfect for that scenario.

Team News

CSK’s South African pacer Lungi Ngidi is expected to be available for selection. PBKS have not reported any fitness issues with their players.

Form Guide (Last five matches)

Chennai Super Kings: L-W-W-W-L

Punjab Kings: W-L-L-W-W

Head to Head record

Matches Played: 23

Chennai Super Kings wins: 14

Punjab Kings wins: 9

MS Dhoni's numbers for CSK

IPL titles: 3

CL T20s: 2

Matches: 199

Runs: 4507

Highest score: 84*

Average: 40.60

Strike Rate:138.80

Fifties: 22

Fours:308

Sixes: 212

MS Dhoni will be playing his 200th match for Chennai Super Kings tonight!

CSK Threats: The fielding was very sloppy. There were at least two dropped catches and a missed run-out opportunity against Delhi. This has been a major challenge over the last few years with aging players who don't have a lot of match practice. The needs an injection of young blood to overcome this drawback.

CSK Opportunity: IPL legend Suresh Raina started his season well. The experienced batsman hit 54 from 36 balls against Delhi and his form lends stability to the CSK batting order. Raina is CSK’s all-time leading run-scorer and second on the list of highest run-scorers in IPL history. Raina will make a huge impact on Chennai's campaign.

CSK Weaknesses: The pacers had a difficult outing against Delhi. Both Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur conceded too many runs and failed to get a wicket. An overseas pacer who can deliver is desperately required. Lungi Ngidi should be accommodated to fix the bowling issues.

CSK Strengths: A lot of quality all-rounders. Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Sam Curran and Moeen Ali can all be in their first XI. These four make lend flexibility to their options. Their positions in the batting line-up can also be shuffled as per the match requirements.

SWOT ANALYSIS FOR CSK

PBKS Threats: PBKS have a poor head-to-head record against Chennai. The MS Dhoni-led side managed just six wins in the league phase last year and among those six victories, two were against Punjab. In the last six clashes between the teams, the Punjab Kings have only won twice.

PBKS Opportunities: Twenty-two-year-old Arshdeep Singh bowled the decisive last over and impressed against Rajasthan Royals. The left-arm pacer got the wicket of centurion Sanju Samson and ended with three scalps. Last season, he ended with nine wickets. He picks up wickets at crucial moments in the big matches. On a pitch where other bowlers struggled, Arshdeep delivered the goods. He is a good find for Punjab.

PBKS Weaknesses: The team is not using a quality all-rounder in their first XI. The squad has Fabian Allen and Moises Henriques but they haven't got an overseas slot to accommodate one of them with Gayle, Pooran, Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith needed for their present combination.

PBKS Strengths: A top-heavy batting order. The top order of KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran now has additional firepower from Deepak Hooda. Rahul has again started his season well. The Punjab skipper smashed seven fours and five sixes in his 50-ball 91. Hooda played an equally entertaining knock of 64 with four fours and six sixes. The batting is looking in good shape.

SWOT ANALYSIS FOR PUNJAB KINGS

Sam Curran is CSK's new impact player

He is making a name for himself as one of the leading all-rounders in the world. The left-arm pacer can open the bowling and can open the batting as well. He scored one fifty last season and was the team’s leading wicket-taker with 13 wickets. Against Delhi, Curran played a valuable knock of 34 off just 15 balls.

Chris Gayle a key player to look out for in Punjab camp

The high-scoring Wankhede should excite the West Indian. The ball comes onto the bat nicely and carries over the fence easily. The match should be a fun, six-hitting affair. Gayle is perfect for that scenario.

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The two sides experienced contrasting fortunes in their respective tournament opener.

While CSK lost by seven wickets against Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings eked out a four-run win over Rajasthan Royals in a high-scoring thriller.