The already-eliminated Chennai Super Kings dealt a serious blow to Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL title defence by clinching a two-wicket win at Eden Gardens — their first successful chase of 180 or more since 2019 and only their third victory of a tough season.
Noor Ahmad set the tone with a crafty 4 for 31, limiting the defending champions to 179 despite a late onslaught from Andre Russell. Although CSK’s chase wobbled after a PowerPlay collapse, Dewald Brevis launched a thrilling counterattack with a 25-ball 52. Shivam Dube steadied the innings in the latter half, and MS Dhoni sealed the nervy finish by smashing a six in the final over with two wickets and two balls to spare.
CSK won the game in the middle overs. Both sides matched each other closely during the PowerPlay — KKR posted 62, while CSK managed 67. However, CSK’s spin trio effectively squeezed KKR’s scoring in the middle overs. Then, Brevis’s blitz rescued CSK from their early collapse, helping them pile on 78 runs in nine overs, including 30 from a single over bowled by Vaibhav Arora.
| Parameter | KKR | CSK |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 57/3 | 78/1 |
| Run Rate | 6.33 | 8.67 |
| 4s/6s | 11/2 | 5/5 |
Table of contents
- Rahane, Narine Blaze Through PowerPlay to Put CSK on the Back Foot
- CSK Spinners Turn the Tide with Timely Strikes
- Russell Powers KKR to Competitive Total Amid Late Wickets
- Urvil Shines on Debut, But CSK Crumble in PowerPlay
- Brevis Ignites CSK Comeback with Fiery Counter-Attack
- Dube, Dhoni Hold Nerve to Seal Thrilling CSK Victory
- What’s Next for Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings?
- FAQs
Rahane, Narine Blaze Through PowerPlay to Put CSK on the Back Foot
Ajinkya Rahane made the most of his decision to bat first by racing to a fluent 29 off 14 balls by the end of the PowerPlay. After Rahmanullah Gurbaz fell to Anshul Kamboj in the second over, Rahane walked in early and took full advantage of a reprieve on 15 — Matheesha Pathirana dropped a miscued pull at deep square-leg.
Sunil Narine matched Rahane’s aggression, targeting the returning Ravichandran Ashwin with two boundaries and a six in the fifth over. Rahane then hammered a four and a six off Kamboj’s second over, which leaked 17 runs, as KKR wrapped up a commanding PowerPlay that immediately put CSK under pressure.
CSK Spinners Turn the Tide with Timely Strikes
CSK fought back through their spin attack, with Ravichandran Ashwin setting the tone by conceding just two runs in the seventh over. Noor Ahmad followed up with a crucial breakthrough, dismissing a charging Sunil Narine thanks to MS Dhoni’s sharp stumping. Dhoni struck again three balls later, grabbing a thin edge from Angkrish Raghuvanshi to complete his 200th IPL dismissal — becoming the first wicketkeeper to reach the milestone.
KKR failed to hit a boundary for four consecutive overs until Rahane launched Ravindra Jadeja for a six to ease the pressure. However, Jadeja responded in his next over by removing Rahane for a 33-ball 48 with a failed reverse sweep that went straight to point. The scalp pushed Jadeja past Dwayne Bravo to become CSK’s all-time leading wicket-taker in the IPL with 141 dismissals. Andre Russell then reignited KKR’s innings just before the death overs, hammering two fours and a six off Jadeja’s final over to restore some momentum.
Russell Powers KKR to Competitive Total Amid Late Wickets
Andre Russell maintained KKR’s momentum in the death overs, launching a powerful pull for six and crunching a four over extra cover off Matheesha Pathirana. Aware of the Russell threat, CSK brought back Noor Ahmad, who responded by dismissing the all-rounder for a 21-ball 38 with a catch at long-off.
Manish Pandey, after a slow start, finally opened his boundary account with a six off his 22nd ball, while Rinku Singh reverse-swept Noor for four before falling to the Afghan spinner — his fourth wicket of the night — with Ayush Mhatre taking the catch at deep square leg.
Noor wrapped up his excellent spell with figures of 4 for 31 in the 19th over. Pathirana then closed the innings with a disciplined final over, allowing just six singles as KKR finished on 179.
Urvil Shines on Debut, But CSK Crumble in PowerPlay
Debutant Urvil Patel lit up the PowerPlay with a breathtaking 11-ball 33, smashing four sixes and a four to give CSK’s chase an explosive start. However, his brilliance couldn’t prevent an early collapse, as CSK lost five wickets within the fielding restrictions.
Vaibhav Arora removed Ayush Mhatre for a two-ball duck, inducing a soft chip to backward point. Moeen Ali cleaned up Devon Conway, who returned to the XI, with a sharp delivery. Urvil’s fiery knock ended with a sharp catch at short third, triggering further trouble. Promoted to No. 4, Ravichandran Ashwin drove straight to point, while Ravindra Jadeja dragged a Varun Chakaravarthy delivery onto his stumps, leaving CSK reeling despite the electric start.
Brevis Ignites CSK Comeback with Fiery Counter-Attack
With CSK in deep trouble, Dewald Brevis unleashed a blazing counter-attack to revive the chase. Confronted with the spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy, Brevis first took on Narine with a crisp boundary and a towering six. The real fireworks came in the 11th over against Vaibhav Arora. After Angkrish Raghuvanshi dropped him at long-off — the ball sailing for six — Brevis punished KKR mercilessly. He followed up with a flicked four, a crunching drive over extra cover, and two straight sixes, racking up 30 runs in the over that flipped the momentum.
Brevis raced to a 22-ball half-century, bringing the equation down to 57 off 54 balls. However, just when CSK looked in control, Varun struck back, dismissing Brevis for a 25-ball 52. KKR then tightened their grip with two tight overs, leaving CSK needing 40 runs from the final five.
Dube, Dhoni Hold Nerve to Seal Thrilling CSK Victory
As the required rate stayed within reach, CSK never needed more than a boundary an over. Shivam Dube anchored the chase confidently, pulling Andre Russell for four and launching assured sixes off Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora. But just when CSK seemed to be cruising, Arora struck back in the 19th over, dismissing Dube for a well-paced 45 off 40 balls and then bowling Noor Ahmad to inject late drama.
With eight needed off the final over, Russell offered a full toss first up — a gift MS Dhoni hammered over mid-wicket for six. With just two runs remaining, debutant Anshul Kamboj showed nerves of steel, lofting over mid-on to finish the job with two balls to spare and secure CSK’s third win of the season.
Brief Scores
Kolkata Knight Riders: 179/6 in 20 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 48, Andre Russell 38; Noor Ahmad 4-31)
Chennai Super Kings: 183/8 in 19.4 overs (Dewald Brevis 52, Shivam Dube 45; Varun Chakaravarthy 2-18)
Result: Chennai Super Kings won by 2 wickets.
What’s Next for Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings?
Kolkata Knight Riders will head to Hyderabad for a high-stakes clash against defending champions Sunrisers on May 10 — a rematch of last year’s IPL final. Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings will return to Chepauk for their final home game of the season on May 12, taking on the already-eliminated Rajasthan Royals, hoping to end their poor home run, having lost five times there already.
FAQs
Chennai Super Kings won by 2 wickets against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Ajinkya Rahane scored 48 runs, and Andre Russell contributed with 38 runs, leading KKR’s innings.
Noor Ahmad was the standout bowler for CSK, taking 4 wickets for 31 runs.
Dewald Brevis played a sensational knock of 52 off 25 balls, and Shivam Dube contributed 45 runs, guiding CSK toward a thrilling victory.
KKR will face Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 10, while CSK will play Rajasthan Royals at home on May 12.
