On Friday, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated the Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six wickets in Match 8 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 season at the Wankhede Stadium. Chennai reached 107 for four in 15.5 overs while chasing a 107-run target.
Faf du Plessis scored an unbeaten knock of 36 runs off 33 balls to help his side win the game. Moeen Ali, an English all-rounder, also made a match-winning contribution, scoring 46 runs in 31 balls, including seven fours and a six. CSK’s first victory of the season came thanks to Sam Curran’s winning boundary.
Punjab’s top bowler, Mohammed Shami, took two wickets in four overs. Meanwhile, Arshdeep Singh and Murugan Ashwin were both fired. Earlier, PBKS finished their innings with a score of 106 for eight in 20 overs. The Punjab franchise got off to a shaky start, losing early wickets.
KL Rahul scored just five runs, and his opening partner Mayank Agarwal was out for a two-ball duck. Punjab’s only notable contribution came from Shahrukh Khan, who scored 47 off 36 balls before being caught in the final over. CSK’s Deepak Chahar was in excellent form, taking four wickets. Meanwhile, Curran, Moeen, and Dwayne Bravo were all fired.
Deepak Chahar’s 4 for 13 in the Powerplay left Punjab struggling at 4 for 19. The middle-order, led by Shahrukh Khan’s 31-ball 46, then restricted Punjab to 106 for 8. The number was hunted down by CSK with six wickets to spare. “Deepak got a couple of wickets with his knuckle balls, but being run-out doesn’t help the side. Just the way we began, the pitch was fine; it wasn’t a 100-110 wicket, but it was a 150-160 wicket.”
