Rayudu tames SRH bowlers, Super Kings seal close win
CLOSE AFFAIR Led by Rayudu’s unbeaten 79, Dhoni’s side clinches fourth win in five games vs SRH HYDERABAD:
In a contest wherein fortunes swung from one side to another, Deepak Chahar’s threewicket opening burst and a stunning 79 from Ambati Rayudu powered Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to a four-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Sunday evening.
Kane Williamson’s classy 84 and Yusuf Pathan’s 45 were not enough to stop the rampant Chennai Super Kings from registering their fifth win in four matches since their return to the competition. Chasing 183, Williamson took their fight till the end, adding 79 runs with Pathan to keep their hopes alive. But CSK prevailed eventually, with SRH scoring 178/6 off their 20 overs. In a last-minute attempt, Rashid Khan scored a four-ball 17 not out but it was not enough.
Williamson struck five sixes and as many boundaries to score 84 off just 51 balls, providing SRH the solidity they needed in absence of Shikhar Dhawan. On his part, Pathan raced to a 27-ball 45 with four sixes and one four.
At the packed Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad — the home ground for SRH — the MS Dhoni-led side found strong support as Chennai staged an impressive win.
CSK were earlier strangulated by the disciplined Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bowlers as they managed their worst figures so far this season. CSK reached 27 for one after six overs, and accelerated only after the halfway stage.
After being reduced to 54/2 after 10 overs, Rayudu’s onslaught and Suresh Raina’s unbeaten 53 helped CSK recover from a poor start, with Dhoni’s brisk unbeaten 25 taking them to 182/3. CSK added as many as 128 runs in the final 10 overs, of which 62 came in the last 30 balls.
Rayudu, batting at No 4, clobbered four sixes and nine fours to score 79, and at one stage he looked set to complete his century. However, an embarrassing mix-up with Raina saw him missing out. Rayudu and Raina added 112 runs for the third wicket, with the former scoring 46 runs all by himself for the second half-century of their partnership. Raina, who struck five fours and two sixes, went past Virat Kohli as the leading run-scorer in IPL history.
Without the services of Dhawan who sat out of the contest due to an injury to his elbow, the home side picked Ricky Bhui (0) and brought back Billy Stanlake into the mix.