KKR’s playoff hopes dim as CSK steal the night

Ravindra Jadeja slammed consecutive sixes off the last two balls of the match to take Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to a six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Thursday.

Jadeja scored 30 off 11 balls and followed up Ruturaj Gaikwad’s 72 and Ambati Rayudu’s 38 to take CSK to their second consecutive win. Chasing KKR’s 172/5 wickets, CSK ended their innings on 178/4 wickets off 20 overs at the Dubai International Stadium.

The defeat keeps KKR in fifth place on 12 points with one game left to play. Their inferior net run rate puts them below Kings XI Punjab, with whom they share 12 points. The result also confirms league leaders Mumbai Indians’ qualification for the playoffs.

CSK got off to a 50-run opening partnership between Shane Watson and Gaikwad. This was followed by a 68-run stand between Gaikwad and Rayudu before KKR got back into the game. Spinner Sunil Narine kept the run rate in check after which Pat Cummins dismissed Rayudu.

Varun Chakravarthy then got the wicket of CSK captain MS Dhoni before Cummins struck again with the wicket of Gaikwad.

However, the penultimate over bowled by Lockie Ferguson went for 20 runs, with Jadeja hitting two fours and a six off a free hit. Jadeja then hit back to back sixes off the last two balls of the final over to take them to victory.

Earlier, Nitish Rana hit 10 fours and four sixes, three of which came on the trot in the 16th over, on his way to 87 off 61 balls as KKR scored 172/6 wickets in their 20 overs. He fell in the 18th over to Lungi Ngidi after which Karthik saw them through to the last over, with captain Eoin Morgan chipping with 15 off 12 balls.

Brief scores: KKR 172/5 wkts in 20 overs (Nitish Rana 87, Shubman Gill 26; Lungi Ngidi 2/34) lost to CSK 178/4 wkts in 20 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 72, Ambati Rayudu 38; Varun Chakravarthy 2/20) by 6 wkts