IPL 2019, KXIP vs CSK: Rahul, Shami, Curran power Kings XI Punjab to six-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings

Faf du Plessis’ 96 went in vain as KL Rahul’s 36-ball 71-run innings and Sam Curran and Mohammed Shami‘s fine showing with the ball powered Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) to a six-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 55^th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 at the PCA-IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Sunday.

Chasing 171-run to win, KXIP were off to a flying start as Rahul registered the third fastest fifty of IPL 2019 as he zoomed past the fifty-run mark in 19 balls. The right-hander, who opened his account with a six on the sixth ball he faced, scored 46 runs from the next 13 balls and eventually scored 71 off 36 balls.

Harbhajan Singh, who had an evening to forget. as he, despite scalping three wickets went for 57. While KXIP lost Rahul, Chirs Gayle and Mayank Agarwal in quick succession, Nicholas Pooran’s quickfire 36 helped KXIP end their season on a high.

Earlier, after put in to bat, Faf and Suresh Raina guided CSK to 170/5 after the visitors were put in to bat. (IPL 2019, KXIP vs CSK: AS IT HAPPENED)

CSK lost Watson in the fifth over as Curran gave the home team their breakthrough. However, KXIP had to wait for another wicket till the 17^th over as the duo of Faf and Raina added 120 runs from 75 balls before Curran dismissed the CSK vice-captain for 53. The left-hander hit 5 fours and 2 sixes in his 38-ball stay in the middle.

While Raina played his shots, it was the South African skipper, Faf, who otherwise had troubles with the bat in the tournament, took apart the KXIP attack.

CSK had scored only 42 runs in the powerplay. However, Raina and Faf added 108 runs in the next 10.4 overs as CSK moved past 150 in the 17^th over.

KXIP though managed to pull back a few things after Raina’s departure as Ashwin and Curran managed to keep MS Dhoni quiet and did not let Faf score his hundred as the England pacer dismissed the CSK openers for 96 to scalp his third wicket.

Shami did a fine job, bowling the final over, where he scalped two wickets – Ambati Rayudu and Kedar Jadhav as KXIP did a brilliant job, conceding just 20 runs in the final three overs and denied CSK a big finish, restricting them to 170/5.

Brief scores: Kings XI Punjab 173/4 (KL Rahul 71, Nicholas Pooran 36; Harbhajan Singh 3/57) beat Chennai Super Kings 170/5 (Faf du Plessis 96, Suresh Raina 53; Sam Curran 3/35) by six wickets