Powered by a brilliant unbeaten 95 by Faf du Plessis, Chennai Super Kings have posted a solid 220/3 vs Kolkata Knight Riders in Wednesday’s evening fixture of 2021 IPL.
The foundation of the big score was laid by CSK’s opening pair with Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf smashing 115 off the first 77 deliveries. CSK in fact had raced to 54 in the first six overs as KKR's decision to open the bowling with spinner Varun Chakravarthy and Pat Cummins did not materialise.
Cummins, in fact, was the hardest hit of all the KKR bowlers as he conceded 58 runs in his four overs, including 19 in the last over.
After being put into bat first by Eoin Morgan, Gaikwad returned to form after some low scores this season and the youngster was the first of the openers to complete his half century, in the 11th over off a Kamlesh Nagarkoti delivery.
Two overs later, Faf too completed his fifty even as Chakravarthy got KKR’s big breakthrough sending back Gaikwad on 64.
The South African du Plessis, who hit nine fours and four sixes, also shared a 50-run partnership with Moeen Ali (25 off 12 balls) as CSK reached 155/1 after the end of 16 overs.
The fall of Moeen Ali’s wicket off Narine saw MS Dhoni walk out to bat and the former Indian skipper got into the thick of things immediately, hitting a boundary off the second delivery he faced.
Dhoni got out on the last ball of the 19th over to Russell, having made an 8-ball 17.
But it was du Plessis who stole the show. He hit three consecutive fours off Andre Russell in the 19th over and then followed it up with two sixes off Cummins in the last over.
KKR's decision to play Kamlesh Nagarkoti in place of Harbhajan Singh didn't pay off as the seamer conceded 25 runs in his two overs.
Chakravarthy was the best bowler for KKR giving away 27 runs in his four overs and picking the wicket of Gaikwad. Sunil Narine took one for 34 in his four overs.
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