It is now over to Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders!
An all-round performance by Kings XI Punjab. First the bowlers came to the party in restricting Chennai for 170 when it looked like it would get more and then K.L. Rahul and Chris Gayle gave a rollicking start and then Nicholas Pooran played a beautiful cameo as his team went through.
KXIP 173/4 in 18 overs: That's it. Sam Curran wallops Imran Tahir down the ground and with that Kings XI Punjab beats Chennai Super Kings by six wickets.
KXIP 164/4 in 16.2 overs: Nicholas Pooran departs after a cameo. He is caught behind for 36 (22 balls, 2x4, 3x6) as Punjab encounters a speed breaker in the home stretch. Sam Curran joins Mandeep Singh and it is just a matter of time now for Punjab to beat CSK.
KXIP 163/3 in 16 overs: It is now just 8 runs off 24 balls for Punjab. Pooran looks solid, smashing Imran Tahir for a six over deep midwicket.
KXIP 151/3 in 15 overs: Punjab needs just 20 off 30 balls to win and Pooran has just smashed Ravindra Jadeja for 13 runs in the over. Welcoming him with a six and then a four.
KXIP 138/3 in 14 overs: Nicholas Pooran and Mandeep Singh have added 20 in 10 balls as KXIP puts on its scoring boots again.
KXIP 118/3 in 12.2 overs: Harbhajan strikes. Mayank Agarwal pulls and finds the deep backward square fielder to perfection. Mayank goes for 7, caught by Jadeja and CSK is pulling things back.
KXIP 117/2 in 12 overs: The dual wickets have stemmed the run rate a bit. Imran Tahir sends a good over, with a slip in place, as Mayank and Pooran try to get their feet in. Chennai's top spot isn't in danger anymore.
Mayank Agarwal and Nicholas Pooran in the middle.
KXIP 108/2 in 10.4 overs: Two in two for Harbhajan. Both the openers depart. Gayle tried to smoke a half tracker to long on but finds Dhruv Shorey (substitute) waiting for the catch. The game has tilted in two balls — both the openers depart.
KXIP 108/1 in 10.3 overs: Rahul departs after an blazing innings. Harbhajan Singh picks up the wicket. Rahul skies one to Tahir at covers and is out for 71 off just 36 balls.
KXIP 106/0 in 10 overs: Half way through the innings and Kings XI Punjab have made this Chennai attack look listless. Rahul has been in tremendous form, just before the World Cup, and for a change Gayle is playing second fiddle.
KXIP 100/0 in 9 overs: Chris Gayle and K.L. Rahul are juts toying with the Chennai bowling attack. Chennai's top spot in danger as Punjab reaches within 71 runs of the target. Rahul smacks Deepak Chahar for two boundaries — one at deep midwicket and one straight down the ground — to bring the 100 up for Punjab.
KXIP 85/0 in 7 overs: Now, Chris Gayle joins the party. Imran Tahir bowls three good balls but gives away two sixes and 1 four in the remaining three. Gayle first goes over covers for four, then six over long off and a six over long off. CSK bowling is in tatters now.
KXIP 68/0 in 6 overs: What a powerplay! K.L. Rahul just took off after the first over and tonked anything that came his way. Deepak Chahar and Dwayne Bravo bowled two good overs but the start given by Rahul means KXIP is going at more than 11 an over.
KXIP 57/0 in 4 overs: 50 for K.L. Rahul in just 19 balls. 24 runs off the Harbhajan Singh over as Rahul goes hammer and tongs. 4,4,4,6,0,6 in the over from Harbhajan. For the first time, CSK is looking clueless in the match. And on the other end, Gayle has just scored 4 off 5 balls.
KXIP 24/0 in 2 overs: 18 runs off the Harbhajan Singh over. Gayle starts with a boundary at the fine leg region and then Rahul smacks the off-spinner for two consecutive sixes — first over extra cover and then over long leg region. KXIP is of to a blazing start.
KXIP 6/0 in 1 over: Five dot balls and one balls undoes all the good work. Deepak Chahar managed to keep K.L. Rahul quiet for five balls but the last ball is short and Rahul just tonks this into the crowds at the deep midwicket fence.
Out walk Chris Gayle and K.L. Rahul. Deepak Chahar is with the new ball.
The Kings XI Punjab bowlers would be happy with this bowling performance, especially after the humongous partnership between Suresh Raina and Faf du Plessis. It is now the turn of the batsmen to prove their worth. Back with the chase in a bit.
CSK 170/5 in 20 overs: Mohd. Shami comes up with a brilliant last over, just 5 runs and 2 wickets in the over. A great effort considering he managed to keep Dhoni quiet. The last ball was on the blockhole and MSD just managed two runs, with a shot down the ground.
CSK 167/5 in 19.4 overs: Classic stuff from Mohd. Shami. Kedar Jadhav tries to go inside-out but Shami wins this, the batsman misses and the bowler castles him.
CSK 166/4 in 19.2 overs: Ambati Rayudu needed to go after Mohd. Shami but only finds Mandeep Singh in the deep midwicket fence. The good thing for CSK is, the batsmen crossed, and Dhoni will be on strike.
CSK 165/3 in 19 overs: The final over of the innings is coming up. CSK needs an MSD special now.
CSK 163/3 in 18.4 overs: Heartbreak for Faf du Plessis. He is castled by Sam Curran for 96. A fullish ball that tailed in sharp and Faf had no clue and falls over. The ball hits the pads and then deflects onto the stumps.
CSK 154/2 in 18 overs: The wicket of Raina has put some brakes on CSK's scoring rate. But with MSD and Faf in the middle, CSK can expect to milk the maximum possible runs from the remaining 12 balls. Ravi Ashwin bowled the 18th over for just 4 runs.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni joins Faf du Plessis.
CSK 150/2 in 16.4 overs: Raina departs. A slower ball from Curran was all that was needed. Raina got inside the line to pull as it was going down leg, he rolled the wrists but he just hit it straight to Shami who took a simple catch. Raina is out for 53.
Faf du Plessis is on a roll. He smacks Andrew Tye for 4, 4, 6 and then gives Sam Curran the treatment. He picks a slower one from Curran, clears the front leg and hits this straight down the ground.
CSK 124/1 in 15 overs: The CSK batsmen seem to have got the cue from Stephen Fleming. Raina gets to his 50 with a four through deep midwicket and then du Plessis carts Ashwin for a four and six over the long-on region. 18 runs off the Murugan Ashwin over and CSK has changed gears.
CSK 106/1 in 14 overs: Both the Ashwins bowling in tandem has resulted in just nine runs in the last 12 balls, more importantly without a boundary. Faf has reached his half century and Raina is approaching his milestone.
CSK 97/1 in 12 overs: Suresh Raina and Faf du Plessis have added 67 runs in 47 balls for the second wicket as CSK is growing in strength. Murugan Ashwin and Andrew Tye haven't been able to contain the flow of runs and the batsmen are in no trouble finding the boundary every over. In the Tye ball of the 12th over, KXIP's Tye was convinced for an LBW shout on Raina and convinced Ashwin to go for the review after the umpire ruled it not out but the UltraEdge confirmed an inside edge.
CSK 79/1 in 10 overs: At the half-way stage, CSK has a run-rate of just below eight runs an over. Andrew Tye bowled the 10th and Faf and Raina took one boundary each — both had width outside off stump and the batsmen are too experienced to let these balls go without punishing.
CSK 67/1 in 9 overs: Raina has been harsh on Brar and sends him into the orbit for the second time in as many overs. This time he times it immaculately and the ball lands in the crowds beyond the deep midwicket fence easily. 10 runs have come off the Brar over, the highest in the innings so far.
CSK 49/1 in 7 overs: Raina dances down the track to Harpreet Brar and smacks him over the long-on fence. For a moment it looked like he didn't get the distance but the short boundaries in Mohali helps Raina. Although CSK have got the boundaries and six, Punjab have also bowled some dot balls in between and that has kept the scoring rate in check. The third over was the most expensive, nine runs scored.
CSK 42/1 in 6 overs: It is the end of the powerplay. Ravichandran Ashwin bowls the last over of the powerplay and gives away just 6 runs, with Suresh Raina hoisting him over the square leg are for four.
CSK 30/1 in 4.1 overs: Just as I completed the sentence saying the openers are flourishing, Shane Watson proves me wrong. What a horrid season he is having. Curran bowls a fuller one as Watson eyed the third man region. The ball was too close to him for him to go to that part of the ground, Watson misses it and the off-stump is pegged back.
CSK 29/0 in 4 overs: The openers have started to flex their muscles. Faf du Plessis first steers Sam Curran to the fence in the third over and a full toss from Shami in the next over is dealt severely through the mid wicket region. CSK's opening partnership needs to flourish and it is budding in the right direction.
CSK 14/0 in 2 overs: Mohd. Shami bowls one onto the pads and Faf du Plessis accepts the gift with glee. He times it well past the square leg umpire and the outfield is too quick to slow the ball down. But, Shami has bounced back well after the poor first ball and just gives away three more.
CSK 7/0 in 1 over: The left-arm spinner starts well — mixing it well with flighted ones, quicker ones, an arm ball in between — but leaks a boundary in the final ball as Watson times it immaculately towards the covers.
Faf du Plessis and Shane Watson are out in the middle. It is time for the CSK openers to fire. Harpreet Brar will start the proceedings for Punjab.
A huge cheer as the most popular cricketer comes on to the field and even rolls his arm over.
Playing XIs:
Kings XI Punjab : Chris Gayle, K.L. Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Mandeep Singh, Sam Curran, Ravichandran Ashwin (cap), Andrew Tye, Mohammed Shami, M Ashwin and Harpreet Brar.
Chennai Super Kings : Faf du Plessis, Shane Watson, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, M.S. Dhoni (cap/wk), Kedar Jadhav, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Harbhajan Singh and Imran Tahir.
Toss update: Kings XI Punjab wins the toss and will bowl.
Captain R. Ashwin has blamed his team's consistent poor show in Powerplay for Kings XI Punjab's ouster from IPL 2019
Powerplay has been our big problem, says Ashwin after KXIP exit
Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni returns to the P.C.A Stadium in Mohali, where last year, against the Kings XI Punjab, his unbeaten 44-ball 79 brought Chennai on the cusp of win before the host side stole a four-run victory
After the rude wake-up call by Mumbai Indians, CSK showed what it is capable of by destroying an in-form Delhi Capitals.
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 our correspondent Rakesh Rao's preview of this afternoon's contest:
Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings looks to finish on top
The exalted position is one quite familiar to Chennai Super Kings. Assured of a place in the playoffs, the champion side uses the last few matches to iron out the rough edges.
After the rude wake-up call by Mumbai Indians, CSK showed what it is capable of by destroying an in-form Delhi Capitals. Now that CSK is sure of being in the top two, another unconstrained performance against Kings XI Punjab is likely here on Sunday.
The battle of ‘Kings’ on Sunday lost much sheen after Punjab's hopes of making the playoffs were crushed by KKR on Friday.
So, Kings XI is left looking to finish a disappointing campaign with a consolation win. However, CSK is too professional to give away any points in charity.
Chennai, on the other hand, has had several significant contributors to its victories. The vastly-experienced side, however, is looking for more from its top-order. At times, its frailties were pushed into the background, thanks to what a fit-again Dhoni does best at the death.
Watch: KXIP vs CSK preview: Chennai looks to finish on top of the table
Though Ambati Rayudu and Kedar Jadhav together have aggregated only 380 runs from 13 matches each, the think-tank is unlikely to rethink.
Many a time, the wicket-taking skills of Imran Tahir, Deepak Chahar, Ravindra Jadeja — not to forget Harbhajan Singh’s contribution — have rescued CSK.
Read: IPL 2019 points table: Team standings and rankings
For Kings XI, very little seems to have changed from the last season, when it finished with five straight losses. Now, it comes into the final league fixture having lost six out of seven matches, including the last four.
Though K.L. Rahul has contributed most runs, his slow starts hurt the team’s prospects whenever Chris Gayle and Mayank Agarwal do not fire.
To compound Kings XI’s woes, the bowlers have been too generous in the power-play. Singularly, if Sam Curran had contributed consistently with his all-round abilities, Kings XI could have been looking ahead to the playoffs. As things stand, the host has very little left to lose.
The live streaming of the match is on Hotstar.
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