In a gripping Indian Premier League (IPL) contest witnessed yesterday, Punjab Kings upstaged hosts Chennai Super Kings at the latter's fortress of Chepauk Stadium in Chennai. Chasing a competitive target of 163 runs, Punjab were led superbly by Jonny Bairstow and Rilee Rossouw, who added a crucial 85-run partnership for the second wicket to lay the foundation for the visitors.
Although Punjab lost an early wicket following Prabhsimran Singh's entertaining cameo, Bairstow and Rossouw remained unfazed. They took the attack to the Chennai spinners, scoring at a brisk rate and not allowing any respite. The duo completed their half-centuries with flair before departing in the latter stages. But the damage was already done as Punjab assumed complete control of the chase.
Shashank Singh and Sam Curran then guided Punjab Kings comfortably over the line with seven wickets and over two overs to spare. The victory helped the visiting team extend their winning streak against Chennai to five matches. Earlier, Chennai could only muster 162/7 after electing to bat first, largely due to the brilliant spells from Punjab's spinners Rahul Chahar and Harpreet Brar. The duo stifled the Chennai batsmen, accounting for important wickets to derail the hosts.
While Ruturaj Gaikwad top-scored with a patient 62 for Chennai, the batting unit as a whole lacked intent and aggression against the disciplined Punjab attack. Worsening dew conditions in the second innings made a challenging total seem far less threatening. Moeen Ali was the only Chennai batsman to counterattack, smashing 15 runs from 9 deliveries. But his late flurry proved too little too late as Punjab cruised to their fifth straight win over Chennai across all venues.
