The CSK fast bowler, Deepak Chahar was too hot to handle for the Punjab Kings’ batsmen as he helped his team to register a comfortable 6-wicket win. After winning the toss, MS Dhoni asked PBKs to bat first and the batting team never managed to get in the game Chahar left them shell-shocked with his fierce four-over burst immediately after they were inserted. He first castled Mayank Agarwal for a duck with a peach, pitching the ball on the middle-stump before it shaped away marginally to knock the top of the off-stump.
Chris Gayle’s edge flew over the slips in his next over, where Deepak Chahar conceded a couple of boundaries, but the roaring mood that he was in, the bowler also sensed a wicket. And not one but two came in a jiffy: Gayle, slightly early into his shot, deposited him straight into a diving Ravindra Jadeja’s hands, followed by Nicholas Pooran holed out to Shardul Thakur at deep backward square to record consecutive ducks.
WATCH – MS Dhoni Ignores The DRS Call Of Deepak Chahar Against PBKS
Squeezed in between these dismissals was a blunder by the Punjab skipper KL Rahul, whose underestimated Ravindra Jadeja’s arm proved fatal as the latter hot the bullseye. Given his red-hot rhythm, Dhoni decided to bowl out Chahar, giving him a fourth over and the bowler ended up getting the wicket of Deepak Hooda. Trying to drive his team out of embarrassment, Shahrukh Khan got involved in a couple of thirty-run stands with Jhye Richardson and M Ashwin.
Shahrukh sent Ali over midwicket for a six, followed by a boundary off Shardul Thakur to take Punjab into the 80s, however, his partner MI Ashwin did not stay for too long, picking out Faf du Plessis off Dwayne Bravo. Khan’s resistance came to an end in the final over as he miscued a slower delivery from Sam Curran, but PBKs eventually managed to get past 100.
Having all the time in the world to chase, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis started on cautiously. However, Du Plessis smashed 14 runs in the fourth over, but struggling for momentum at the other end, Gaikwad eventually perished. Getting into his elements quickly, Moeen Ali pierced gaps off Riley Meredith to get going with two fours straightaway.
WATCH – Ravindra Jadeja Took A Low Diving Catch To Dismiss Chris Gayle
Ali, who enjoyed his time against Ashwin, belted him for another maximum over long-on, but the bowler had his revenge a couple of balls later as Ali slogged him straight to Shahrukh Khan at deep midwicket. The 66-run second-wicket stand came to an end when they had just 17 runs to chase. However, a dull and one-sided encounter was slightly lit up towards the end when Mohammad Shami dismissed Suresh Raina and Ambati Rayudu on consecutive deliveries before Sam Curran sealed a 6-wicket win with 26 balls to spare.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to CSK’s comfortable win:
Minnal start to the day🔥 Expecting the same thundering performance in the chase! #PBKSvCSK #WhistlePodu #Yellove 🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/P9mrYVyoz8
— Chennai Super Kings – Mask P😷du Whistle P🥳du! (@ChennaiIPL) April 16, 2021
Dominating win by @ChennaiIPL bowlers made it easier for the batsmen of csk. Swing was the king again. #deepakchahar
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) April 16, 2021
CSK get off the mark in #IPL2021 with a comprehensive win (despite the harakiri with the bat towards the end).
Deepak's new ball wickets always vital for @ChennaiIPL to set the tone. Runs for Faf and Moeen a good sign. Plenty to work on though.
— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) April 16, 2021
Comprehensive victory for @ChennaiIPL Congratulations on the first victory of this season. @IPL #CSKvPBKS #IPL2021
— Vinay Kumar R (@Vinay_Kumar_R) April 16, 2021
Thank you #CSK for giving us commentators an early night off 🤣 #PBKSvCSK
— Hemang Badani (@hemangkbadani) April 16, 2021
You can go to the third umpire to check the height of a bouncer now? #PBKSvsCSK
— Jimmy Neesham (@JimmyNeesh) April 16, 2021
CSK WINS! This is the start of the bulldozer which is about to run over everything. 💛
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) April 16, 2021
Chennai vs Punjab in IPL 2020:
First game: CSK won by 10 wickets
Second game: CSK won by 9 wicketsChennai vs Punjab in #IPL2021:
First game: CSK won by wickets 6 wickets (with 26 balls to spare)#PBKSvCSK— Aditya Chaturvedi (@aditya_c19) April 16, 2021
First win for #CSK in #IPL2021 – beat Punjab Kings by 6 wickets. Deepak Chahar was the star of the show with 4 wickets and Moeen Ali continues his great run with bat.
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) April 16, 2021
