Chennai: A blazing start from Sanju Samson and Ayush Mhatre, followed by impactful middle-order contributions, helped Chennai Super Kings (CSK) post 192/5 in their 20 overs against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday.
Opting to bat first, CSK came out all guns blazing as Samson set the tone with a flurry of boundaries in the opening over. The aggressive intent continued despite an early setback, with skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad once again failing to convert his start, falling to Anukul Roy after scoring just seven runs.
The highlight of the Power-play was young Ayush Mhatre, who lit up Chepauk with a sensational 38 off just 17 deliveries. The right-hander took on the pacers, particularly Cameron Green and Vaibhav Arora, smashing boundaries at will to propel CSK to a strong 72/2 at the end of six overs.
Samson, meanwhile, anchored the innings with a fluent 48 off 32 balls, striking four fours and three sixes. Just when he looked set for a half-century, Kartik Tyagi produced a sharp inswinger to clean him up, providing KKR a much-needed breakthrough.
Following the Power-play fireworks, KKR’s spinners, led by Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy, applied the brakes effectively. The duo dried up the boundaries and forced CSK into a quieter phase, with the hosts managing only 55 runs between the eighth and 14th overs.
However, Dewald Brevis injected fresh momentum into the innings with a counter-attacking 41 off 29 balls. He combined with Sarfaraz Khan (23 off 18) to stitch together a crucial 51-run stand, taking calculated risks against both pace and spin.
KKR struck back through Narine, who bowled a clever knuckle-ball to dismiss Sarfaraz, while Tyagi impressed at the death, picking up key wickets and finishing with figures of 2/35.
CSK lost the momentum towards the end as the KKR bowlers managed to thwart Shivam Dube and Jamie Overton from hitting the big shots. Disciplined death bowling from Tyagi ensured the scoring rate didn’t spiral out of control, with just eight runs coming off the final over.
From a commanding 162/3 in 16 overs, CSK’s lower order steadied the innings but couldn’t fully capitalise in the death. Nonetheless, the early aggression and Brevis’ flourish ensured a competitive total on a pitch that aided the bowlers.
For KKR, Tyagi stood out with his variations and control under pressure, while Narine’s spell proved crucial in halting CSK’s momentum during the middle overs.
Brief scores:
Chennai Super Kings 192/5 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 48, Dewald Brevis 41, Ayush Mhatre 38; Kartik Tyagi 2-35) against Kolkata Knight Riders.
(IANS)
