Chennai captain MS Dhoni turned back the clock as the 40-year-old hit a six in the final over of the match to help his side beat Hyderabad and become the first team to reach the playoffs this season. A six-wicket win helped Chennai pick up their ninth win in 11 games. Meanwhile, bottom-placed Hyderabad will miss out on the playoffs for the first time in six years. They are also in danger of finishing bottom of the points table as four points separate them from Punjab and Rajasthan, who are sixth and seventh in the points table, respectively.
Josh Hazlewood and Dwayne Bravo were outstanding in the victory against Hyderabad. The Aussie fast bowler, who dismissed Jason Roy early, bagged his first three-wicket haul in the tournament. Bravo wrecked the top-order with the wickets of Kane Williamson and Priyam Garg and was economical too. CSK opening pair put together a half-century run stand for the third successive game. Wriddhiman Saha and Jason Holder continued to be impressive for Hyderabad in the UAE leg.
Saha blitz
Hyderabad, put in to bat first, named an unchanged squad from the seven-wicket victory over Rajasthan on Monday. Sam Curran made his way for Bravo in the Chennai playing 11. After a quiet opening two overs, Saha cut loose with two sixes off Deepak Chahar. But, at the other end, Roy went for a slog but nicked the ball to Dhoni behind the stumps. The Englishman, who hit a half-century on his Hyderabad debut, departed for just two runs.
Williamson and Saha scored a few boundaries to help their side reach 41/1 at the end of the powerplay. Dhoni brought Bravo into the attack, and the veteran struck in his third ball. He trapped the Hyderabad skipper plump in front. Saha and new man Garg had to resort to singles to keep the scorecard ticking. In the 11th over, Bravo picked up his second wicket. Garg top-edged the ball, and Dhoni took a good catch. A few balls later, Saha, too, made his way back to the pavilion. The 36-year-old fell six runs short of a fifty.
A decent stand
Abhishek Sharma and Abdul Samad arrested the slide with a 35-run stand. Shardul Thakur gave away 12 runs in his third over, while Samad went after Hazlewood and hammered the ball over long-on. Abhishek, too, cleared the ropes off Hazlewood with a cracking shot. But the pacer got his revenge, removing both the batters in quick succession. It also dashed Hyderabad’s hopes of posting 150.
An unbeaten 13-ball 17 from Rashid Khan steered Hyderabad to 134/7 in their 20 overs. Hazlewood registered his best bowling figures in the tournament with 3/24 in four overs. Bravo grabbed a two-wicket haul, and Shardul and Jadeja bagged a wicket each. Meanwhile, Dhoni became the first player to complete 100 catches for a franchise in the league.
Gaikwad-Du Plessis dominate
Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis resumed from where they left off in the last game. The prolific opening duo amassed 47 runs in the powerplay. Gaikwad, who had an LBW decision against him overturned by the third umpire, smacked two sixes off Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s second over. Afghan spin king Rashid, too, was at the receiving end of the 24-year-old’s onslaught.
Du Plessis took on Siddarth Kaul, scoring a six and a four off the pacer’s first over. They moved to 75/0 at the halfway mark of the run chase. Holder, who couldn’t make an impact with the bat, broke the stand with the wicket of Gaikwad. Williamson took a catch at mid-off to send the youngster back to the pavilion for a well-made 45.
Quick wickets
Moeen Ali and Du Plessis added 28 runs for the second wicket before the former departed clean bowled by Rashid for 17. Chennai put themselves under some pressure after losing Suresh Raina and Du Plessis in the same over. The left-handed batsman was given out LBW for just 2, while Kaul took a comfortable catch at midwicket to dismiss the former South Africa skipper nine short of a half-century.
Ambati Rayudu and Dhoni steered home Chennai with two balls remaining in the match. Bhuvneshwar had a disappointing outing as he conceded 13 runs off his final over. With two needed off three balls, the former India captain grabbed the winning runs in typical fashion, much to the delight of Chennai fans at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The three-time winners will be hoping to clinch a tenth win and cement a top-two spot when they face Rajasthan on Sunday.
Hyderabad 134/7 in 20 overs (W Saha 44; J Hazlewood 3/24, D Bravo 2/17)
Chennai 139/4 in 19.4 overs (R Gaikwad 45, F du Plessis 41; J Holder 3/27)
Parameswaran Sankaranarayanan
Parameswaran Sankaranarayan is a sports enthusiast who has worked in print, website, and other digital platforms. He was part of the editorial team of first-ever Indian football-based website - IndianFootball.com (now defunct) - and passionately follows the latest happenings in world football. During his time as a journalist, he had the opportunity to interact with some of the iconic personalities in Indian sports and witness some memorable moments in Indian football.
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