IPL 2023: Smart bowling, Rana-Rinku show keeps KKR's faint playoff hopes alive with conquest over CSK
IPL 2023: On Sunday, Kolkata Knight Riders pulled off a rare Chepauk win over Chennai Super Kings. While the visitors engaged in clever bowling, Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh's partnership was fatal for the hosts.
FollowIt was an out-of-the-box performance by former champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against former four-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Match 61 of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the MA Chidambaram (Chepauk) Stadium in Chennai. The visitors collected a rare yet valuable six-wicket victory to keep their faint chances of making it to the playoffs alive, while the hosts' chances have marginally been affected.
After winning the coin toss, CSK opted to defend, as openers Ruturaj Gaikwad (17) and Devon Conway (30) put on 31 before the former fell to leg-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy in the fourth over of the PowerPlay (PP). Then, Conway and Ajinkya Rahane (16) added 30 for the second wicket before the latter was sent packing by the same man in the eighth.
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The KKR bowlers struck back in quick successions, as Chennai was down to 72/5 by the 11th. But Shivam Dube (48*) and Ravindra Jadeja (20) contributed to a 68-run partnership for the sixth wicket to get its innings back on track before the latter fell prey to pacer Vaibhav Arora in the final over, as the side finished on a below-par total of 144/6.
For Kolkata, Chakaravarthy and mystery spinner Sunil Narine scalped a couple of wickets each, while the latter nailed it with his economy. Before the visitors' chase, the hosts brought pacer Matheesha Pathirana for Dube as the Impact Player (IP). The Knight Riders began agitatedly, losing three for 33 by the fifth over of the PP.
Nevertheless, skipper Nitish Rana (57*) and Rinku Singh (54) took reasonable charge of the chase and came up with an impactful 99-run stand for the fourth wicket to effectively outplay the Super Kings. Both also struck their respective 18th and third IPL half-centuries before the bond was broken in the 18th after Moeen Ali ran out the latter.
Nonetheless, it was too late for CSK, as KKR got the job done by the penultimate 19th over, winning by six wickets with nine deliveries to spare. Seamer Deepak Chahar was on fire for the hosts, grabbing the three wickets in the PP, while it was medium-pacer Tushar Deshpande who was somewhat economical for the side.
