1 week Ago By Mid-day
Riding on a superb 39-ball century, the fourth-quickest in IPL history, by young opener Priyansh Arya, Punjab Kings ran up a challenging 219-6 against Chennai Super Kings at the New Chandigarh stadium on Tuesday night. CSK, who had floundered in their chase in the previous three games, could not get across the line again, despite MS Dhoni, as usual, making a valiant effort at the fag-end with two successive sixes. But as he departed in the final over after making a quickfire 27 off 12 balls, his team lost the high-scoring game by 18 runs.
With their fourth successive defeat and just one win, they have now hit the bottom of the points table. As for the hosts, they notched up their first home win this season.Also Read: RCB’s Patidar fined for slow over-rateDuring the CSK chase, opener Rachin Ravindra, who had failed to get going in the previous three innings, finally had something to show with a 23-ball 36, which got the innings going.
But skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad perished first ball to set CSK back. It was opener Devon Conway and Shivam Dube, who took the innings forward, with an 89-run stand, of which Dube’s contribution was 42 of 27 balls, before he was castled by Lockie Ferguson. That brought MS Dhoni to the middle with the game hanging in the balance.
With his fans cheering in the stands, Dhoni tried gamely by hitting two sixes off Lockie Ferguson, but the task proved beyond him even after Devon Conway was retired out for 69 off 49 balls in the 18th over. At his retirement, 49 were required off 13 balls, but Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja, not for the first time this season, failed the test again. The duo tried hard, but all they could do was reduce the pain of another heartbreaking defeat.
Earlier, opting to bat, the most interesting aspect of the Punjab innings, was that of the first six batters, only Arya got past the double figures, while the other five’s combined contribution was a mere 23. Yet the home team, thanks to Arya’s histrionics, crossed the 200-mark with ease. The Delhi opener, who is not only uncapped, but has not played Ranji Trophy for his state, reached his 39-ball century with the help of seven fours and nine sixes, some of which landed in the second tier of the stands.
It was Arya who kept the scoreboard moving while wickets kept falling at the other end.Prabhsimran Singh failed to open his account, and thereafter Shreyas Iyer (nine off seven), Marcus Stoinis (four off seven), Nehal Wadhera (nine off seven) and Glenn Maxwell (one off two) departed in quick succession.For CSK, the damage was done by Khaleel Ahmed and Ravi Ashwin with two wickets apiece and Mukesh Choudhary, who castled Prabhsimran second ball.
From 83-5 the innings was revived by Arya in the company of Shashank Singh (52 not out off 36 balls, 2x4, 3x6) with a partnership of 71 in just 34 balls, before Noor Ahmed had Arya caught in the deep by Vijay Shankar. But that was not the end of the revival as Marco Jansen (34 not out off 19 with 2 fours and 2 sixes) and Shashank Singh took the score well past the 200-mark.Brief scoresPBKS 219-6 in 20 overs (P Arya 103, S Singh 52; K Ahmed 2-45, R Ashwin 2-48) beat CSK 201-5 in 20 overs (D Conway 69, A Dubey 42; L Ferguson 2-40) by 18 runs.
