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Chennai Super Kings 107 for 4 (Ali 46, du Plessis 36*, Shami 2-21) beat Punjab Kings 106 for 8 (Shahrukh 47, Chahar 4-13) by six wickets
Mumbai: Deepak Chahar produced his career-best figures in the IPL and tore into the destructive Punjab Kings’ top and middle order with some brilliant swing bowling setting up a crushing six-wicket win for Chennai Super Kings in Mumbai.
Chahar, known for ability to pick heaps of wickets in the powerplay, lived up to his billing and reputation today after an indifferent start to the tournament against the Capitals.
Chahar first saw the back of Mayank Agarwal in the very first over of the match with a stunning delivery that pitched on middle and nipped away to kiss the top of off stump.
The crafty pacer then bamboozled the Universe Boss with a slower one – the knuckle delivery enticing Gayle early into the drive only for Ravindra Jadeja to take a good catch diving at short cover.
The evening only got better for Chahar as he dismissed a second West Indian batsman in the over – this time the destructive left-hander – Nicholas Pooran.
Chahar mixed it up and after bowling a number of full deliveries bowled a good short-pitched delivery outside off which Pooran could not resist and pulled straight into the hands of long-leg. He almost had a hat-trick when he got one to nip back and struck Shahrukh Khan on the pads – but the reviews showed that the ball was doing a touch too much.
Nonetheless, it was a sensational double-wicket over from Chahar. He conceded just a solitary run from the over.
Chahar was not done. He got rid of the hero for Punjab Kings’ in their previous encounter – Deepak Hooda – with the second delivery off his last over. This time it was a conventional swinging delivery which landed on the seam outside the off stump which was the undoing of the right-hander as he scooped a sitter to Du Plessis at mid-off.
Chahar had broken the backbone of the Punjab Kings’ top and middle over in his four-overs-continuous spell in Mumbai.
He returned with 4-13 in 4 overs which included a maiden.
Punjab Kings were left reeling at 26 for 5 after 7 overs and the match had effectively been sealed by CSK courtesy a sensational spell by Chahar with the new ball. He delivered as many as 18 dot deliveries of the 25 he bowled in the match – ie 72% of his deliveries were not scored off – a remarkable achievement given that three of his four overs were bowled in the powerplay!
Chahar has been the unsung hero for CSK over the years. He was at his best in 2019 when he picked 22 wickets in 17 matches at a strike rate of 17.5 and economy rate of 7.47 playing a pivotal role in taking his team to the final where they were beaten by the Mumbai Indians.
