Dhoni heroics not enough as CSK suffer 7-run loss against SRH

Dubai, October 2, 2020

A visibly drained MS Dhoni's (47*) best efforts were not enough in the end for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who suffered a seven-run loss to SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday.

In reply to SRH's 164/5, CSK could only manage to reach 157/5.

CSK lost their first three wickets within the powerplay as SRH ensured that the chasing side's run rate remained alarmingly low. At the start of the 10th over, CSK found themselves at 43/4.

Ravindra Jadeja (50) and Dhoni later steadied the ship for CSK with the former upping the ante in the death overs. The pair put up 72 runs for the fifth wicket before Jadeja holed out at deep backward square-leg just when he started to look like taking CSK home.

Sam Curran (15*) came in and hit a six off the very first ball and the situation came down to CSK needing 28 to win off the last over.

The over started perfectly for CSK with Abdul Samad's first delivery running to the boundary down the leg side, as wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow failed to gather the wide ball. But Samad managed to keep things under control in the subsequent deliveries to ensure that CSK finished seven runs short of the target.

Earlier, Priyam Garg (51 not out) and Abhishek Sharma's (38) bailed out a faltering SRH innings with their 77-run stand for the fifth wicket to help their side reach 164 for the loss of five wickets.

CSK got off to a good start with Deepak Chahar castling Jonny Bairstow in the first over. Then, Manish Pandey fell in the eighth over to Shardul Thakur after a 46-run stand with captain David Warner, after which Kane Williamson walked out to bat.

Warner then fell thanks to a brilliant effort from Faf du Plessis at the boundary and Williamson was run out off the very next ball.

Garg and Abhishek, however, managed to steady the ship for SRH. They were helped by some surprisingly sloppy work from CSK in the field with both Ravindra Jadeja and Thakur failing to hold on to easy chances off the two batsmen.

Abhishek eventually departed after being caught behind off Chahar, but Garg soldiered on. Thakur managed to keep the last over down to seven runs and CSK were left with a target of 165 to chase.

Brief scores: SRH 164/5 in 20 overs (Priyam Garg 51 not out, Abhishek Sharma 31; Deepak Chahar 2/31) vs CSK 157/5 in 20 overs (Ravindra Jadeja 50, MS Dhoni 47; T Natarajan 2/43)

IANS