Shikhar Dhawan smashed an unbeaten 88 for Punjab Kings who withstood a batting blitz from Chennai Super Kings’ Ambati Rayudu to seal an eleven-run victory in a hard-fought IPL fit on Monday.
Dhawan, playing his 2 hundredths in shape in the Indian Premier League, smashed nine fours and sixes in his 59-ball knock to guide Punjab, who were put in to bat first at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, to 187-four.
Holders Chennai slipped to forty-three, however, Rayudu took on the chase in his 39-ball 78, studded with six sixes, earlier than being bowled via Kagiso Rabada who again figures of 2-23.
Rayudu smashed three straight sixes and a 4 off Sandeep Sharma to raise hopes of a victory in a 23-run sixteenth over.
Skipper M.S. Dhoni attempted to repeat his pyrotechnics of the previous match when he scored 16 off the final four balls but this time 27 runs from the 20th over proved too big as Chennai closed 11 short.
“I think he (Rayudu) was batting brilliantly but we could have restricted them under 170-175,” said Chennai skipper Ravindra Jadeja.
“I think not getting a good start in the first six (overs), we’re not putting runs on the board in the first six. So we need to improve on that and come back strong.”
Medium-pacer Rishi Dhawan, wearing an unusual mask to protect his face in the event of getting hit by the ball, kept his nerve in the final over to have Dhoni caught at midwicket by Jonny Bairstow.
Punjab bounced back from two straight losses while four-time champions Chennai slumped to their sixth loss in eight matches.
Earlier Shikhar Dhawan lost his opening partner and skipper Mayank Agarwal for 18 after a slow start before adding 110 for the second wicket with fellow left-hander Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who made 42.
Sri Lankan Rajapaksa survived two dropped possibilities on one and 5 and finished with fours and two sixes in his 32-ball knock.
Dhawan placed his patchy IPL from in the back of him, turning up the heat by smashing Mukesh Choudhary for three boundaries in one over. Shortly after he swept Dwaine Pretorius for any other boundary to elevate his 46th IPL the half-century and 2nd of the season.
England’s Liam Livingstone joined Dhawan to preserve up the price as the costliest remote places purchase of this IPL auction — Punjab picked him for $1.52 million — hit Pretorius for one four and sixes in another large over.
He fell inside the subsequent over to Choudhary however his seven-ball 19 boosted what became out to be a winning total.
“Livingstone the way he played some gentle strokes out of the park, that set us up nicely and we got a winning total,” said Rabada.
