Chennai Super Kings sailed into the Indian Premier League play-offs in Sharjah on Thursday with a comfortable win over Sunrisers Hyderabad, maintaining their incredible consistency this season. After MS Dhoni chose to bowl on a slow surface, the bowlers, led by Josh Hazlewood (3/24) and Dwayne Bravo (2/17), restricted SRH to 134 for seven. In chasing the score, Ruturaj Gaikwad (45 off 38) and Faf du Plessis (41 off 36) produced a superb 75-run stand to give CSK the perfect start. The chase was made intriguing by a short collapse in the middle overs before CSK won in 19.4 overs, with Dhoni (14 not out off 11) striking the winning six and bringing back memories of his heydays.
The three-time defending champions then finished the chase on 139 for four, good for a six-wicket victory.
CSK proved that missing out on the play-offs last season was merely a blip in their otherwise stellar IPL history with their fourth win in as many games since the tournament’s restart.
Last season’s high-scoring games were a complete contrast this season, with the Sharjah pitch’s sluggish nature making stroke making tough.
With the fast-rising Gaikwad demonstrating superlative talents, batting in the second innings became simpler.
He played great SRH spinner Rashid Khan with a lot of confidence, which was impressive. On Rashid’s second ball, he sprinted down the track and blasted it for a straight six.
He again made good use of his feet against Abhishek Sharma, a left-arm spinner, for another clean boundary. Du Plessis, too, smashed some boundaries before succumbing to a tired shot.
CSK went from a commanding 103 for one to 108 for four, making the dressing room uneasy. With a six and four off Bhuvneswar Kumar in the 19th over, Ambati Rayudu (17 not off 13) helped his team avoid a stressful finish.
At the other end, MS Dhoni stayed undefeated. Earlier, the SRH innings lacked the necessary energy.
In his 46-ball 44, Wriddhiman Saha played some lovely strokes, but the rest of the SRH batters struggled to get going.
The highlight of Saha’s innings came in the third over, when he hit two sixes off Deepak Chahar. The first was a hoick over midwicket, while the second was more of a lofted straight drive that comfortably cleared the ropes.
Jason Roy, his opening partner, was caught behind by Josh Hazlewood as he attempted a wild slog. Kane Williamson hit two fours in his run-a-ball 11 before Dwayne Bravo trapped him in front with a full ball that swung away slightly and thudded into the New Zealander’s pads.
After a well-set Saha top-edged one off Ravindra Jadeja and was caught by Dhoni, SRH were reduced to 74 for four.
SRH needed a final flourish in the last five overs after reaching 97 for four in 15 overs.
Before Hazlewood removed them in the 17th over, Abdul Samad (18 off 14) and Abhishek Sharma (18 off 13) played a couple spectacular shots. CSK performed admirably in the final overs, giving only 37 runs.
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