This is what unfolds when Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) get a pitch tailor-made for their spinners. Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, and Moeen Ali (combined figures: 12-1-55-6) spun a web around the five-time IPL champions at Chepauk, dismantling them until the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) resembled a mere shadow of their usual selves.
Bowled out for just 103—their lowest IPL total at home—CSK slumped to a record fifth consecutive loss, a first in the franchise’s history, and now find themselves stuck at ninth on the points table. A dramatic return to captaincy for MS Dhoni.
Spin-Friendly Surface Turns Into KKR’s True Home
The defining trait of a black-soil pitch is its sluggish nature and the grip it offers—conditions that played right into KKR’s hands. Ironically, while Chepauk felt like home, their actual home ground at Eden Gardens hasn’t offered them the same comfort this season. Despite efforts, replicating such spin-friendly surfaces in Kolkata hasn’t worked out, something Ajinkya Rahane seems done discussing. Yet on the field, he let his tactics do the talking.
Bringing Moeen Ali into the XI, he unleashed him against CSK’s two left-handed openers. Devon Conway struggled and fell in a wicket maiden. In the following over, Rachin Ravindra also perished. By the end of the powerplay, CSK were already reeling at 31 for 2—only marginally better than their own season-worst start of 30 for 3 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
CSK’s Fragile Middle Order Laid Bare
Targeting Chennai Super Kings’ brittle middle order has become the simplest route to defeating them. With Ruturaj Gaikwad absent, Rahul Tripathi was slotted in but looked uncertain—caught between aggression and caution—which showed in his sluggish 16 off 22 balls.
Vijay Shankar had strokes of fortune, surviving chances that could’ve seen him dismissed on zero or 20, yet he failed to convert those reprieves into anything meaningful. When Shivam Dube entered at 59 for 3, the collapse only deepened. In the mere 13 deliveries he faced, the scoreboard nosedived to 75 for 8, putting CSK on the brink of registering their lowest-ever total in IPL history.
Dhoni’s Return Overshadowed by Narine Masterclass
Sunil Narine delivered yet another vintage spell, going through his full quota of four overs without conceding a single boundary—for the 16th time in his IPL career, the most by any bowler. He dismissed Rahul Tripathi, Ravindra Jadeja, and even MS Dhoni, all of whom were left guessing which way the ball would turn. The decision to give Dhoni out lbw stirred some debate, with UltraEdge showing faint signals that hinted at a possible edge.
CSK were completely choked. They endured a 63-ball stretch without a boundary—something only two other teams in IPL history have suffered—and managed just three after the eighth over, one of which came off a top edge. In desperation, they activated Deepak Hooda as their Impact Player, sacrificing a bowler in hopes of boosting their fragile total. But the move misfired—Hooda fell for a duck, and to make matters worse, key pacer Matheesha Pathirana was unavailable for the match.
KKR Make Light Work of a Meagre Target
Defending a total of 103 is an uphill battle—bowlers are forced to take risks in pursuit of wickets, often conceding runs in the process. Having faltered with the bat early on, CSK failed to make amends with the ball.
Their powerplay bowling was just as disappointing, as KKR blazed away to 71 runs in the first six overs. The chase was a mere formality from that point—this contest was over before it even began.
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