Dhawan is the Punjab’s King

By Our Special Correspondent

Dhawan hit nine fours and two sixes in his 59-ball knock to power Punjab to 187/4 after being asked to bat. Punjab then restricted CSK to 176 /6 despite a stunning 39-ball 78 from Rayudu, studded with seven fours and six sixes. Dhawan also became only the second batter after Virat Kohli to complete 6,000 runs in IPL history. Rayudu hit three consecutive sixes and a four to take 23 runs from the 16th over bowled by Sandeep Sharma (1/40) after CSK needed 70 runs from the last five over’s. But Arshdeep Singh conceded just six runs in the next over and eight in the 19th to tilt the scale towards Punjab.

Like Punjab, CSK too had a sedate start, the difference being an extra wicket lost. Sandeep Sharma dismissed Robin Uthappa in the second over while Arshdeep Singh bowled Santner leg

mstump for a drab 15-ball 9. Shivam Dube also chopped one on from Rishi Dhawan—wearing a faceguard while bowling—as CSK meandered at 40/3 after seven over’s.

Rayudu (78—39b, 7x4, 6x6) brought with him wings into the innings, and targetted Punjab’s fifth bowling options Rishi and Liam Livingstone. Just when his 49-run partnership with Ruturaj Gaikwad had Punjab in a bother, Kagiso Rabada got the opener to hole out to mid-off. Rayudu kept going, pouncing on half trackers and full tosses dished out by Rahul Chahar and Sharma, smashing four sixes and two fours off the 15th and 16th over that collectively leaked 38 runs.

The 16-run 12th over was backed up by a 14-run 14th over where Rajapaksa deposited a low full toss over long-off. Jadeja chose not to bowl himself or fellow left-arm orthodox Mitchell Santner, whose figures in the power play read 2-0-8-0, against the southpaws. The duo was happy to milk the medium pacers in the last six over’s that produced 70 runs.

Rajapaksa was finally caught, ending a 110-run partnership in 71 balls. A couple of sixes by Livingstone in the penultimate over followed by one from Dhawan off the last was the kind of finish Punjab craved.

Brief scores: Punjab Kings: 187/4 (S Dhawan 88, Rajapaksa 42; Bravo 2/42); Chennai Super Kings: 176/6 (Rayudu 78, Gaikwad 30; Rabada 2/23, R Dhawan 2/39). — PTI