At 106/5, the game was finely balanced. Sunrisers Hyderabad needed 49 off 37 balls. Chennai Super Kings required wickets to win from that position, but the bowlers failed in their execution as SRH chased down 155 to record their first-ever win at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, keeping their tournament hopes alive. A total of 15 extras conceded by CSK proved to be the difference in a low-scoring game. After this loss, CSK can now reach a maximum of 14 points, which may not be enough to qualify in the ten-team tournament, while SRH remain in the race for the play-offs.
Defending a modest total, CSK needed their bowlers to show discipline and control. However, Sam Curran’s two overs went for 25 runs, while Noor Ahmad, despite claiming two wickets, was expensive. Both Noor and Matheesha Pathirana conceded extras, which ultimately played a part in CSK’s failure to defend the score. A series of lapses with the ball, coupled with errors in the field, once again led to CSK’s downfall. SRH came into the game with a refreshed strategy. Heinrich Klaasen was promoted to number four, but the move didn’t pay off as he managed just 7 runs. However, Nitish Kumar Reddy’s entry at number seven proved effective, as he guided SRH to victory alongside Kamindu Mendis, who played a composed innings of 32 off 22 balls.
The chase was far from straightforward. Abhishek Sharma fell in the first over, and Travis Head also departed during the Powerplay. Ishan Kishan provided some resistance, rotating strike well and finding the occasional boundary to keep the scoreboard ticking. A 36-run partnership between Kishan and Aniket Varma stabilised the innings, before an unbeaten 49-run stand between Kamindu and Nitish sealed SRH’s first-ever win at Chepauk.
Bravis shines on debut, Harshal bags a four-fer
Making his debut for Chennai Super Kings, Dewald Brevis was the standout performer with the bat, top-scoring with a brisk 42 off just 25 deliveries. His knock included four towering sixes and a boundary, providing the middle-order momentum CSK have sorely missed this season. Three of those sixes came in a single over off Kamindu, but Brevis’s promising innings was cut short by a brilliant catch from the same player.
Ayush Mhatre continued his impressive form at the top, giving CSK a steady start after his opening partner, Shaik Rasheed, fell on the very first ball of the innings. Mhatre looked fluent, but Sam Curran, batting at No. 3, struggled to find rhythm and was dismissed early in the fifth over. Soon after, Mhatre too fell, undone by a clever delivery from Pat Cummins.
Ravindra Jadeja, despite being handed a reprieve, couldn’t make the most of his chance and departed for 21. With wickets tumbling at regular intervals, CSK batters found it tough to score freely on a sluggish Chepauk pitch. SRH pacers executed their plans to perfection, using slower balls and cutters to exploit the surface. The trio of Cummins, Harshal Patel, and Jaydev Unadkat shared nine wickets, with Harshal bagging four, and Cummins and Unadkat taking two apiece. CSK’s power-hitters, Shivam Dube and MS Dhoni, were dismissed for single-digit scores. Deepak Hooda tried hard but couldn’t provide the final flourish, as CSK were bundled out on their home turf for the first time since 2019.