Noor Ahmed's 3/21 spell derails KKR, gives CSK second straight win

Spinner Noor Ahmed's 3/21 spell was pivotal in Chennai Super Kings' victory over Kolkata Knight Riders. He stated the pitch conditions gave him an advantage, derailing KKR's 193-run chase and securing CSK's second consecutive win.

After Chennai Super Kings (CSK) win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), spinner Noor Ahmed, who bowled a match-winning spell of 3/21 for the hosts, said that the ball not coming well on the bat gave him the advantage and his performance gives him a lot of confidence. While chasing 193 runs, KKR was 79/2 at one point, riding on the momentum of a 50-run stand between the skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi. However, a fine spell from Noor, which removed Rahane, Cameron Green and Rinku Singh in quick succession, derailed KKR's chase and left them restricted at 160/7. CSK managed their second successive win of the season after the first three matches ended in losses.

'Ball not coming well to bat was an advantage': Noor Ahmed

Speaking during the post-match presentation, Noor expressed happiness in contributing to the team's win and the dew factor while bowling. "Really happy to contribute for my team. Yeah, the dew was there, and it was humid, so just try to keep my fingers dry, and yeah, that helped me a lot to hit the right area. It was all about that. Yeah, really happy with the pitch. I think the ball was not coming really well to the bat, and yeah, to take advantage of that, it was good. (Talks about confidence) Yeah, definitely it gives a lot of confidence. I will keep putting lots of effort into contributing to contribute for my team in the coming matches. I think keeping changing pace is the best tactic everywhere and on every wicket," he said.

Match Summary

Asked to bat first by KKR, CSK put 192/5 in 20 overs, with Sanju Samson (48 in 32 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes) and Dewald Brevis (41 in 29 balls, with four fours and two sixes) playing standout knocks and Kartik Tyagi (2/35) being a standout bowler.

During the chase, KKR was reduced to 29/2 and was in contention with a 50-run stand between skipper Ajinkya Rahane (28 in 22 balls, with two sixes) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (27 in 19 balls, with three fours and a six). However, a game-changing spell from Noor Ahmed sank KKR to 90/6, and they ended their innings at 160/7.

KKR is still winless, having lost four and one no result, sitting at the bottom of the table. CSK has climbed to eighth spot in the points table, with four points. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)