Ravindra Jadeja was the hero for Chennai Super Kings on Monday as his three-wicket haul helped them defend a modest total against Kolkata Knight Riders. Chasing 138 for victory, Chennai rode on half-centuries from Ruturaj Gaikwad and Daryl Mitchell to comfortably cross the line with seven wickets in hand.
KKR made a flying start after being asked to bat first, with opener Sunil Narine leading the charge. He smashed the CSK bowlers all around the park and had Kolkata racing to 56/1 after the initial powerplay overs. However, their momentum was abruptly halted by Jadeja who dismissed set batsmen Narine and Angkrish Raghuvanshi in quick succession.
The left-arm spinner continued to keep things tight and not give the KKR batsmen any breathing space. He sent back dangerous hitter Venkatesh Iyer as well, providing the crucial breakthroughs Chennai desperately needed. His figures of 4-0-18-3 were easily the best on display as other CSK bowlers leaked runs.
Chennai’s chase got off to a steady start thanks to Ruturaj Gaikwad, who occupied the crease for the majority of the innings and brought up his first fifty of the season. Daryl Mitchell played the perfect second fiddle, rotating the strike efficiently. Their stable partnership took the pressure off the asking rate.
While Mitchell fell short of his half-century, Shivam Dube ensured there was no late drama as he finished off the chase in style with a flurry of boundaries. Chennai maintained their perfect record at home and consolidated their position in the top half of the points table. Jadeja was named player of the match for his pivotal spell that helped CSK gain the upper hand against Kolkata.
This low-scoring thriller ensured a fitting end to an enthralling evening of cricket in Chennai. Jadeja once again underlined his value to this CSK team with both bat and ball.
