Hello and welcome to Sportstar's live coverage of today's Indian Premier League encounter between Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab at the Chepauk Stadium.
Chennai Super Kings is back to the top of the table with a 22-run victory over Kings XI Punjab. The Kings were on course when KL Rahul and Sarfraz Khan added 110 for the third-wicket before Rahul's dismissal made things more difficult for the host side. Deepak Chahar and Kuggeleijn held their nerves in the end, but they were buoyed by a brilliant spell from Harbhajan Singh whose two for 17 allowed CSK to make early inroads. Du Plessis' half-century combined with a 60-run stand between Dhoni and Rayudu took CSK to an eventually winning total.
◘ Kuggeleijn to bowl the final over. He has to defend 26 off last six. Just two off the first three balls! And the pressure tells on Sarfraz who perishes, caught by du Plessis for a 59-ball 67. Punjab needs 24 off two balls.
◘ Nine off the first ball, four off the next and a wicket off the last ball, David Miller loses his stumps. Oh Dear, Chahar has lost his radar here, slips in another no-ball, another free-hit! Chahar to bowl the penultimate over. Punjab needs 39 off 12. Sarfraz gets a boundary off a no-ball. That's a free hit too, just the start Punjab was looking for.
◘ Kuggeleijn bowling the 18th over. He has got the breakthrough, gets rid of KL Rahul who is caught trying to up the ante. David Miller hammers a boundary but still a good over for CSK as just seven come off that over. KXIP 122/3 after 18 overs.
◘ Just five off it in the end. KXIP needs 46 in 18. Tahir into his fourth over now. KL and Sarfraz are happy to milk the ones and twos. The last three overs will be bowled by the seamers unless MS throws the ball to Kedar who hasn't bowled at all today.
Punjab needs 51 runs in 24 balls
◘ Harbhajan back for his last over. He gives away just 5, finishes with two for 17. KL brings up his 50 as well as the duo add 100 for the third wicket. Tahir comes back for his third. Five singles from it, Punjab needs 56 off 30 balls. KXIP 110/2 after 16 overs.
◘ Meanwhile, Sarfraz Khan has brought up his fifty. Bhajji is back and he concedes just four. His figures so far 3-1-12-2. Whoa! Brilliant from M.S.D. Rahul is well short of his crease but the bails haven't been dislodged. So, he stays. Dhoni was awake to the opportunity and boy is he fast. KXIP 100/2 after 14 overs.
◘ Scott Kuggeleijn is back into the attack. Improvisation from Sarfraz, gets down on one knee and implements the Dilscoop to perfection. Four more added to Punjab's total. He backs it up with a stylish maximum over long-off, a cross-seamed full length delivery just lifted easily for a six. 16 off that over. Sarfraz needs to make this start count! KXIP 91/2 after 12 overs.
Punjab needs 86 runs in 54 balls
◘ Four off Tahir's second. Tahir to bowl the 10th. Jadeja continues and Sarfraz opens the face of his bat and runs this one down to third man for four to bring up a crucial 50-run stand with KL. A ball later, Rahul cuts one to make it a 12-run over. KXIP 71/2 after 10 overs.
◘ A short, wide delivery is cut away by Sarfraz. Oh Dear, an appeal for lbw, turned down by the umpire, has not been reviewed but the replays show the ball hitting the stumps. Sarfraz got lucky there! Imran Tahir to bowl in tandem with Jadeja. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja will bowl his first over tonight... goes for just three. KXIP 55/2 after 8 overs.
◘ Scott Kuggeleijn has been introduced into the attack, and he starts off by conceding a six to Sarfraz Khan. He goes for 11 on his IPL debut. KXIP 46/2 after 6 overs.
◘ Chahar is back for his third and is straightaway taken for runs, Rahul drives a full length delivery past mid-on for four. He then carves a short ball overmid-wicket for six before working one off his hips for another boundary. 16 off that over.
◘ Bhajji to continue . Runs proving hard to come by at the moment. Eight off that over. Sarfraz Khan and KL Rahul are at the crease. Chahar bowling the third over. Four off his second. Punjab needs 150 runs in 17 overs. KXIP 19/2 after 4 overs.
◘ Another one bites the dust. Mayank departs for a two-ball duck. Bhajji on fire. GONE! That's huge. Gayle has to depart and it's Harbhajan who does the trick, the ball turning away from the left-hander, kisses the edge and Dhoni completes a sharp catch. Harbhajan Singh from the other end. Gayle gets off the mark with a boundary, just five off Chahar's first over. KXIP 7/2 after 2 overs.
Chris Gayle and KL Rahul to begin the chase, Deepak Chahar with the new ball.
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14 coming off that last over from Shami as Dhoni and Rayudu power CSK to 160/3 at the end of 20 overs. On a slow wicket, with its battery of spinners, CSK will fancy its chances here. It was buoyed by a fourth-wicket 60-run unbeaten stand between Dhoni and Rayudu. Du Plessis' 54 earlier in the innings was the perfect foil. For Kings XI, skipper R Ashwin returned figures of three for 23. KXIP needs 161 to win.
◘ It's Dhoni's turn to add to his tally, pulls a short delivery to fine leg for four. This is now a fighting score. Shami to bowl the last over and he has been dispatched for a six, first ball by Rayudu. Curran errs in length and Dhoni cashes in with a maximum over deep square leg before hitting two back-to-back boundaries to take CSK closer to 150.
◘ DHONI gets hold of it, finally, steps out and absolutely smokes this one towards the long-off fence for a much needed boundary. Tye back for his final over. Short ball and first signs of aggression from Dhoni as he steps out and slaps this one towards square leg where the fielder puts in a dive and saves two. Six runs from it. Chennai could use a couple of big hits at this stage. Curran to bowl the 17th over. Last 3 overs, CSK has lost two wickets for 12. Expect plenty of spin from CSK later today, the sluggishness of the wicket means anything between 130-150 could indeed be a competitive total. CSK 127/3 after 18 overs.
◘ Tye is back for the 16th. What an excellent overthat from Tye, gives away just TWO runs. Shami is back into the attack and Chepauk is alive and kicking! M.S. Dhoni is in the house. Meanwhile, Rayudu tries to break the shackles with a boundary in the gap between long-off and extra cover. CSK 110/3 after 16 overs.
◘ Rayudu safely negotiates the hat-trick ball. He finishes with figures of 4-0-23-3. Ashwin gets rid of a set du Plessis and Suresh Raina off consecutive deliveries! Ravi Ashwin is back. He too will be completing his quota of four overs. M Ashwin to bowl out but du Plessis is in the zone now, as he collects a boundary and a six off consecutive deliveries to bring up his half-century. M Ashwin finishes on 4-0-23-0. CSK 101/3 after 14 overs.
◘ Du Plessis decides he has had enough of the ones and twos, shimmies down the pitch and lifts the carrom ball over Ashwin's head for six. Namesake and skipper R Ashwin is back for his third. M Ashwin returns for his third and once again goes for just seven. 3-012-0 for Ashwin. The slowness of the pitch combined with M Ashwin's delivery speed is making him difficult to score runs off. CSK 87/1 after 12 overs.
◘ Raina gets a boundary to third-man but still seven off it in the end. Tye is back for his second, starts off with two singles and a dot. Murugan Ashwin to continue. Just four from the ninth over, M Ashwin's figures at the moment 2-0-5-0. CSK 71/1 after 10 overs.
◘ There's the wicket! Pressure, pressure, that's the pressure created by M Ashwin which has resulted in a wicket here. Ravi Ashwin gets Shane Watson caught for 26. Suresh Raina is the new man in. Leg-spinner Murugan Ashwin has been brought into the attack. Four dots on the trot for M Ashwin, concedes a single off the fifth and wraps up with a dot. Top stuff from the local lad. CSK 60/1 after 8 overs.
◘ Curran to continue. Watson and du Plessis have brought up the team 50. Curran concedes a boundary to Watson off the last ball of his second over. Andrew Tye is greeted with a boundary and a six by fellow Australian player Shane Watson. Tye, on his part, is guilty of bowling full and on Watson's pads. Du Plessis joins the fun, dispatches one over the long-on boundary. Tye is being taken apart! 18 off that over. CSK 54/0 after 6 overs.
◘ Sam Curran has been introduced into the attack. Shami to continue. Just three from that over. Good start from the hat-trick hero. Du Plessis steps down the track and lifts a length ball over mid-of for four and follows it up with another boundary through square of the wicket. The Protean skipper wraps up the over with a cheeky hit for six. 16 off that Shami over. Shami is consistently clocking speeds in excess of 140 kmph here. CSK 29/0 after 4 overs.
◘ Watson makes the most of a rank length delivery, collects his first boundary of the match. Ravichandran Ashwin to share the new ball . Shami starts off with a wide down the leg side, follows it up with five tight deliveries. Just three coming off it in the end. CSK 10/0 after 2 overs.
Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis to open for CSK, Mohammed Shami with the new ball.
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TOSS UPDATE: Dhoni has won the toss and CSK will bat first.
Kings XI Punjab (Playing XI): Lokesh Rahul(w), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Sarfaraz Khan, David Miller, Mandeep Singh, Sam Curran, Ravichandran Ashwin (c), Andrew Tye, Murugan Ashwin, Mohammed Shami
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Scott Kuggeleijn, Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir
Scott Kuggeleijn comes in as Chennai makes three changes. Apart from Scott who replaces an injured Dwayne Bravo, Mohit Sharma and Shardul Thakur make way for Faf du Plessis and Harbhajan Singh respectively. For Punjab, Chris Gayle is back and Andrew Tye comes in.
Will the fans root for the real Chennai Super King Ravichandran Ashwin or will their loyalties continue to lie with M.S. Dhoni when CSK takes on KXIP at Chepauk on Saturday? Our reporter Santadeep Dey finds out | Local boy Ashwin or Thala Dhoni: Chennai fans have their say
Our reporter V.S. Aravind updates from the stadium: It's hot and humid out here at Chepauk and both teams have touched down. The wicket looks dry without any grass and a light roller is being used currently. Fans have started pouring in and the chants of Dhoni, Dhoni have already started ringing in the air. It will only get louder as the afternoon progresses.
◘ For the first time in the history of the Indian Premier League, Ravichandran Ashwin will be playing as a part of the opposition at Chepauk, and that too as captain of Kings XI Punjab | IPL 2019, CSK v KXIP: Ashwin to spin a web for CSK at home?
◘ In a major blow to defending champion Chennai Super Kings, star-allrounder Dwayne Bravo has been ruled out for two weeks. More on the development here | Dwayne Bravo ruled out for two weeks, confirms Mike Hussey
FOLLOW: 2019 IPL FULL COVERAGE
R. Ashwin is set to play his first IPL contest as part of an opposition team at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium as Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings lock horns on Saturday.
Here's V. S. Aravind's preview of this afternoon's contest:
IPL 2019: Homecoming for R. Ashwin as Kings XI takes on Super Kings
On a hot, humid Friday afternoon, a young boy dressed in yellow, stood patiently holding a placard that read 'Welcome Thala Dhoni'.
While, another group, dressed in whites was trying to get a glimpse of Chennai's own son Ravichandran Ashwin. For a fan, the stakes are high when Kings XI Punjab takes on Chennai Super Kings in an IPL match at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.
For the first time in the IPL, Chennai boy Ashwin, will be playing here as part of an opposition team. He leads Kings XI Punjab, a side that is positioned second in the points table, having secured two wins out of three matches. The home team — Chennai Super Kings — is third, with the same number of wins.
Fans lined up on either side of the road, leading to the stadium, braving the harsh sun as chants of 'Dhoni, Dhoni' only grew louder. The Super Kings are back in their den.
Dhoni vs Ashwin
If Dhoni is calm and collected, Ashwin, on the other hand, is a competitive captain on the field.
Ashwin as a captain like to experiment and it will be interesting to see what kind of tactics he employs on the match day.
On the eve of the match, Ashwin hardly bowled at the nets and preferred throwdowns and ground fielding, while Dhoni kept tonking the white ball into the stands — much to the delight of a small group of fans.
Spin factor
Chepauk has produced two contrasting pitches in the last two games. In the first game, Bangalore was bundled out for a paltry 70, the second game saw Chennai score 175 before taming Rajasthan Royals by eight runs.
Ashwin knows the conditions well, Punjab also has the spin services of Murugan Ashwin and Varun Chakravarthy. Harbhajan Singh played a vital role in the season opener and if the track assists spin, the veteran off-spinner will be the trump card along with Tahir and Ravindra Jadeja for Chennai.
RELATED | Ashwin to spin a web for CSK at home?
Bravo factor & combinations
Dhoni has been in sublime form, but Chennai would be slightly worried about Ambati Rayudu's form. The likes of Suresh Raina, Shane Watson and Kedar Jadhav provide the right balance, but Rayudu's return to form will benefit the yellow army.
For Punjab, Chris Gayle in all certainty should be back in the side after missing the last game and the likes of K.L. Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and David Miller have been in good touch.
After his bowlers were taken to the cleaners by the Mumbai Indians' batsmen, Dhoni would like an improved show from his bowlers. Shardul Thakur provided the breakthroughs in the first three games before fizzling out against Mumbai. Chennai's death bowling has been a concern and Dhoni would be relieved if his bowlers stick to the plans. On the other hand, Punjab has the likes of Mohammed Shami, Andrew Tye and Hardus Viljoen in its ranks to make the contest even.
Bravo's injury is a setback for Chennai, who suffered a hamstring injury in the last game with the star all-rounder being ruled out for two weeks. New Zealand bowling all-rounder Scott Kuggeleign could take his place.
Form Guide
Kings XI is on the crest of a wave, having secured back-to-back wins — against Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals. After a smooth start, the defending champion, on the other hand, suffered its first defeat in its last contest — against Mumbai Indians.
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