KXIP vs CSK | Player Ratings - Faf du Plessis’ classic 98 in vain as Chennai Super Kings lose to Kings XI Punjab
Faf du Plessis and Suresh Raina were the major contributors for Chennai Super Kings and helped the side to a comfortable total of 175 runs, but that resulted in a loss eventually. That could’ve been attributed to Harbhajan Singh’s first two overs where the spinner conceded as many as 43 runs.
Faf du Plessis (9/10): Faf du Plessis had an obvious problem against left-arm seam bowlers and since 2016, he averages just 24 against them. But his experience came to his rescue today as he negotiated Sam Curran while scoring against Harpreet Brar to maintain the run-rate. The arrival of Suresh Raina also helped his cause as the CSK vice-captain scored runs at a rapid pace from the outset and Faf got time to open himself up. Even though he was dismissed by Curran eventually, he ended with a total of 98 runs off 55 balls.
Shane Watson (2/10): It is no secret that once MS Dhoni believes in something, he doesn’t move away from it naturally. Shane Watson may have been an absolute disaster this season, but the continual persistence was what made CSK the best T20 team in the World. The New South Wales cricketer yet again failed to make the opportunity count though and left the crease for the comforts of the dressing room after a seven-ball 11.
Suresh Raina (7.5/10): Faf may have taken the biggest pie of cake tonight, but Suresh Raina was equally responsible for helping the side recover and eventually gave them a good total. While Faf took charge of Ravichandran Ashwin, Suresh Raina ensured that Murugan Ashwin had a bad day on the field. His 53 was a sentence for everyone who questioned his ability under pressure and Raina eventually ran away as the winner.
MS Dhoni (3/10): MS Dhoni promoted himself in the order after Suresh Raina’s dismissal and the stage was set for another MS epic. However, the best of the scriptwriters can’t always predict what was on the cards and after a slow start to the CSK skipper’s innings, wickets started falling at the other end and Dhoni was left stranded for 10 off 12 balls.
Ambati Rayudu (2/10): Obviously the timing of his arrival at the crease was wrong as CSK looked to capitulate on the amazing start provided by Faf and Raina. Even though this kind of situations were against his nature, Rayudu still gave it a go, but failed dramatically to Mohammed Shami’s fullish, nipped back delivery on the second ball he faced.
Kedar Jadhav (3.5/10): The Maharashtra pocket dynamite came out to bat in the 20th over, and there was hardly anything he could do apart from swinging his bat wildly. He did exactly that and although he failed in that count, scoring a golden duck, Jadhav was particularly brilliant in the outfield before injuring his shoulder while attempting a ball to save it from crossing the boundary.
Ravindra Jadeja (5/10): The Saurashtra all-rounder must’ve been cursing his skipper for not letting him come ahead of Ambati Rayudu for a small trial by six in the last over. To compound that thought, Jadeja bowled only two overs and that was sufficient for him to put on a show as he dismissed Kings’ Nicholas Pooran to bring CSK back in the game, although for a while.
Dwayne Bravo (5/10): He might not have batted, but the purposeful fluidity with the ball brought many good things for CSK. The Carribbean all-rounder had conceded 18 runs in the first three overs, and no matter the nine runs he gave away in the last over, the pressure that he exerted from one end helped Harbhajan pick the three wickets from the other end.
Deepak Chahar (5/10): From being the pure power-play bowler to extending his dimension to death bowling, Deepak Chahar has come a long way. Dhoni kept Chahar’s last over for the middle-overs, and in those four overs, despite all the carnage going around, the pacer conceded just 28 runs. Well, that was a decent bowling figure considering KL Rahul’s mood in the evening.
Harbhajan Singh (2.5/10): In a homecoming of sorts, Harbhajan Singh was expected to deliver what was asked and then some more, but as it turned out, he found himself in absolute shambles. KL Rahul took a special liking to him as the off-spinner gave away no less than 41 runs in his first two overs, with none threatening to beat Rahul’s confidence. The irony of the fact that the off-spinner eventually succeeded to send Rahul back when none else could and in the last two overs, picked up a total of three wickets to ensure his figure had some sort of respectability.
Imran Tahir(2.5/10): It is always rare to see Imran Tahir not going on an orgy of celebration in a game - he has made everyone fall in love with it with regular wickets - but that couldn’t be possible tonight. Rahul decided to take him on from the very first over and although he came back with more efficiency in the second half, that was of no use as Punjab romped home at a canter.
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