IPL 2020 CSK vs KKR: CSK defeat KKR by 6 wickets after last-ball finish from Ravindra Jadeja

IPL 2020 CSK vs KKR: CSK defeat KKR by 6 wickets after last-ball finish from Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja during CSK vs KKR in IPL 2020

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 6 wickets in a last ball finish in Dream11 IPL 2020. CSK’s win means Mumbai Indians become the first team to qualify in the playoffs of the tournament with 16 points.

KKR showed fighting spirits in the game when defending 173 runs target set in the first innings. MS Dhoni won the toss and allowed KKR to bat first. With the help of Nitish Rana’s fifty made 172/5 runs.

Shane Watson opened the innings for CSK with Ruturaj Gaikwad. Gaikwad scored back to back half-centuries for CSK and took the game away from KKR. First he put on a 50 runs stand with Shane Watson and later with Ambati Rayudu. Rayudu was out in 14th over by Pat Cummins for 38 runs. MS Dhoni lost his wicket for the second time to Varun Chakravarthy in IPL 2020. Gaikwad also got out to Cummins after scoring 72 runs.

Final over finish in CSK vs KKR

Kolkata Knight Riders bowers defending their target versus Chennai Super Kings

However, KKR bowlers pulled the match until the final over with Lockie Ferguson and Kamlesh Nagarkoti’s brilliant effort with the ball. 30 runs were required in the final two overs. Jadeja took advantage of a no-ball and free hit to bring the gap down to 10 runs. Nagarkoti bowling the final over conceded just 3 runs in the first four balls.

However, Ravindra Jadeja was in a different mood as he smashed two sixes in the last two balls when 7 runs were required. As a  result, CSK defeated KKR by 6 wickets and won their 5th game in 13 matches of the tournament. KKR are still alive in the tournament but will have to win all of their remaining matches with a good net run rate. They have so far won 6 games and lost 7 in a total of 13 games in IPL 2020.

Also Read | IPL 2020: Evaluating each team’s chances of making it to the playoffs

Nitish Rana’s hits 2nd fifty in 3 games for KKR

Nitish Rana for Kolkata Knight Riders

KKR batting scored their first fifty runs stand for the opening wicket in IPL 2020. Nitish Rana and Shubman Gill opened the batting and made 53 runs before Gill falling to Karn Sharma. Narine couldn’t add much and was out for 7 runs. Nitish Rana who was out for a duck in the previous game made 87 runs from 61 balls.

KKR hasn’t had a centurion in IPL history since Brendan McCullum’s 158 runs in the very first IPL game in 2008. Rana in good touch was inching closer to his first ton in his IPL career. Lungi Ngidi stirked in the 18th over and Rana was out for 87 runs with 10 fours and 4 sixes.

Newcomer in KKR team Rinku Singh was promoted in the top order but he failed to leave a mark in the match. Eoin Morgan and Dinesh Kartick later on made 15 and 11 runs respectively to take KKR to 172/5 runs.

Lungi Ngidi took 2 wickets for 34 runs while Karn Sharma, Mitchell Santner, and Ravindra Jadeja took one wicket apiece.

Also Read | IPL 2020: Kolkata Knight Riders register first 50-run opening partnership of the season