Dhoni's winning return to captaincy
The last over goes for 24 but it is still a win for CSK, which has been rare this season. Just their third win in nine games, which means they keep their hopes of qualifying for the playoffs alive. We sign off with a teaser from our match report. Do join us tomorrow.
"He has had a largely ordinary season so far, but against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Ruturaj Gaikwad displayed stroke-play that has had many excited about him to help set up a win for Chennai Super Kings in MS Dhoni’s first match back as captain. This was CSK’s third win in nine matches this IPL.
It was mostly a vintage CSK innings: a slow and steady start, consistent acceleration through the middle overs, batters who get in going on to play big innings. Gaikwad fell one short of a hundred, opening partner Devon Conway scored an unbeaten 85 off 55, and the two added 182, the highest stand this IPL. The defence of 202 wasn’t an easy one with the absence of the injured Dwayne Bravo adding to their bowling woes but Maheesh Theekshana and Ravindra Jadeja went for just a run a ball in the seven overs between them to help create wickets at the other end.
SRH eventually fell short by 13, which left them with 10 points from nine games, joint-fourth with RCB but with a game in hand."
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CSK all but there
38 Number of runs required in the last over Mukesh Choudhary and Dwaine Pretorius shut them down in the 18th and 19th overs
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Death overs
SRH need 68 in the last four overs with Nicholas Pooran their last hope. Our Forecaster has CSK at 98% favourites to win this match.
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Nicholas Pooran. Right-hand batter
to the second ball of the 14th over, Nicholas Pooran reverses his stance, switches hands, practically becomes a right-hand batter and sweeps Mahees Theekshana for a massive six, at least 20 rows back. They still need 78 from the last six, just 10% favourites to win.
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Markram goes
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Mitchell Santner might have conceded two sixes but in the end he has removed the big threat, Aiden Markram, who tries to hit a third straight six, but this pull is possibly not on because the ball is not that short. He is caught at deep midwicket, 88 for 3 in 9.5 overs. They are 11% favourites to win now.
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Choudhary's charms
3 Number of catches Mukesh Choudhary has dropped out of five that have come his way this IPL. Among 30 fielders/keepers to get five or more chances this season, no one has done worse in terms of percentage drops. However, Choudhary has been on with his primary skill, bow2ling. He has taken two wickets in two balls to put CSK on top.
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Golden duck for Tripathi
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Abhishek's lucky night ends
68 Abhishek Sharma's control percentage but he ended up with 39 off 24 when his luck finally ran out and Mukesh Choudhary, who had dropped him earlier, had him caught at long-on. SRH 58 for 1 in 5.5 overs, only 20% favourites to win.
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Things going for SRH
The Sunrisers Hyderabad openers have made a start full of intent, which is what you need in chases of over 200. And things have been going their way. Kane Williamson has had a free hit that he has deposited for six, Abhishek Sharma has been dropped, a couple of edges have flown for four, and they are 46 for 0 in four overs.
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It's all 2s
CSK end up with 202 for 2. SRH will be pleased with the finish thanks to T Natarajan, Umran Mailk and Bhunvehswar Kumar. The last five went for just 49. Having said that, it is still a huge total especially for SRH, who excel in lower-scoring matches. The Forewcaster gives CSK an 83% chance to win.
"The game plan was pretty simple," says Ruturaj Gaikwad. "I thought the wicket was on the slower side so I wanted to take my time, and felt that once I get the pace of the wicket, batting would be easy. I haven't batted much with Devon but he is always in my room and irritating me so the camaraderie has always been there. Pretty much the usual with MS as captain, Obviously he comes up with confidence. The wicket is on the slow side so we are comfortable with the total."
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Out for 99
It shouldn't be about the one that he has missed but the 99 that he has got, but Ruturaj Gaikwad is distraught at having found backward point with his cut off T Natarajan. He has been part of the biggest partnership for any wicket this IPL with his 99 off 57. Mind you, he had to make up for a particularly slow start from Devon Conway. There has been a slowdown in the 90s, though. He reached 90 off 50 balls, and the next seven have got him nine runs. To the ball that got him, Gaikwad played an in-between shot, neither a full-blooded upper-cut nor a steer to third man. Having said that, there was some awesome effortless hitting in that innings.
MS Dhoni has promoted himself. At 183 for 1 in 18, they have overs from Umran Malik and T Natarajan to face.
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Jansen's last-over blues
He went for 25 in the last over last match. This time Kane Williamson has tried to get Marco Jansen's overs out of the way early, and it worked largely. He bowled three overs inside the powerplay, but his last, the 15th, has gone for 20. During it, Devon Conway has brought up his fifty, off 39 balls. CSK are 153 for 3 in 15, and are looking set for a score well over 200. SRH look to T Natarajan, who has three overs left, to restrict CSK.
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Gaikwad the pace hitter
Ruturaj Gaikwad hasn't had a great season but in this innings he is showing why people are excited about him. At his best he is a hitter against high pace. Umran Malik has bowled the fastest delivery of this IPL during this spell, but Gaikwad has taken 33 off 13 balls he has faced from Malik. That includes two sixes, the latest an imperious off-drive over mid-off. They are 117 for in 12 now. Gaikwad 77 off 42.
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Aiden Markram. The bowler
SRH are forced to use Aiden Markram's bowling because Washington Sundar seems to have injured his hand again, and is off the field. And the CSK openers are not letting go of the opportunity, especially Gaikwad who has hit his offspin for two sixes in his third over. It's 36 runs off Markram's three. They are 100 fpr 0 in 11, projected to get 183.
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It's on
The CSK charge is on. They might have got just 40 in the powerplay but the four overs since then have gone for 7, 13, 14 and 11. It's predominantly Gaikwad who has accelerated, and is now 52 off 34. At 85 for 0 after 10, they are projected to get 176.
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Mixed powerplay
A typical CSK powerplay you might say. They are 40 for 0 after six overs, which suggests a return to their tried and tested model of solid starts and big acceleration. Kane Williamson has used three overs of Marco Jansen up front for just 19 runs.
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Conway opening
It is a slightly surprising move to open with Devon Conway because Robin Uthappa has been doing exceptionally well for them. Perhaps they want a right-left combination but do they now have two batters who don't necessarily start fast? It's 18 for 0 after three overs: Ruturaj Gaikwad is 9 off 12, Conway 7 off 6.
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Williamson wins another toss
Well he lost one in between but Kane Williamson is back to his form at the toss. He has won it, and inserted Chennai Super Kings.
MS Dhoni drops a hint about his future. "You will definitely see me in a yellow jersey next year," he says. "Whether this yellow jersey or another, that's a different thing."
Dwayne Bravo is not fit, and he has forced two changes. Simarjeet Singh is the replacement death bowler, but Dhoni probably wants four overseas in the side so Devon Conway comes in for Shivam Dube.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Kane Williamson (capt), 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Marco Jansen, 10 Umran Malik, 11 T Natarajan
Chennai Super Kings: 1 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Robin Uthappa, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Dwaine Pretorius, 9 Simarjeet Singh, 10 Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Mukesh Choudhary
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He's back
MS Dhoni is back as captain. Some might argue he never left. Whatever the case might be, you will see him at the toss today. All's well with the world, you might be tempted to surmise.
Chennai Super Kings are knocking on the door of must-win territory. Up against them are Sunrisers Hyderabad, who have realistic chances of making the playoffs. This is Match 46 of IPL 2022. We are not anticipating changes in these sides' XIs.
In the USA, you can watch the action live on ESPN+ in English or in Hindi.
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