IPL 2019: Twitter Goes Wild As Chennai Super Kings See Off Stiff Fight From Kings XI Punjab

Chennai Super Kings bounced back from their defeat in the previous game by beating Kings XI Punjab by 22 runs to register their fourth win of the season.

Chasing 161 to register their fourth win of the season, the Kings XI started in a disastrous way. They lost both Chris Gayle and Mayank Agarwal for just seven runs on the board.  But before Chennai Super Kings could make further inroads in the game, KL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan steadied the ship. At the end of the powerplay, the Kings XI were 55 for 2.  At the halfway stage, the scoreboard was reading 71 for 2 with both the batsmen looking pretty comfortable in the middle.

The duo going strong for @lionsdenkxip. Bring up a 50-run partnership

KXIP 67/2 after 9 overs https://t.co/Dyq8Gkq4gZ pic.twitter.com/S42HXG1Ayn

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 6, 2019

Kings XI Punjab breached the 100-run mark in the 14th over. In the very following over, Sarfaraz reached his fifty off 42 balls. Rahul soon joined the fifty-club too but the required rate kept mounting. The Kings XI eventually needed 46 from the last three overs.

To make things worse, debutant Scott Kuggeleijn accounted for Rahul in the 18th over to make the task even more tougher. Kings XI eventually ended on 138 for 5.

Earlier in the game, Chennai Super Kings scored 160 for 3 on a tough Chepauk pitch. Faf du Plessis, playing his first game of the season, and Shane Watson started well after MS Dhoni won the toss and decided to bat first.  The two added 56 runs in 43 balls before Ravi Ashwin dismissed Watson to give the Kings XI the much-needed first breakthrough. The dismissal gave Kings XI an opportunity to put a break on the scoring rate as Super Kings reached 71 for 1 at the end of the tenth over.

Du Plessis then reached his fifty in the 13th over when he hit M Ashwin for a maximum. But just when it looked like the Super Kings would accelerate, R Ashwin dealt them a double blow by dismissing du Plessis and Suresh Raina on back-to-back deliveries in the 14th over to leave the Super Kings reeling at 101 for 3 from 100 for 1.

Two in two for Ashwin. Picks up the wickets of Faf du Plessis and Suresh Raina.#CSK 100/3 after 13.4 overs pic.twitter.com/CSm6N2POtd

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 6, 2019

MS Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu then began the repair work and the run-rate dropped soon. The 15th over yielded 7 runs while the following two overs yielded just 2 and 6 as Super Kings were 116 for 3 after 17 overs. However, Dhoni and Rayudu soon shifted gears to score 44 runs from the remaining three overs and fire Super Kings to a challenging total. Dhoni remained unbeaten on 37 off 23 while Rayudu slammed 21 off 15.

Here is how Twitter reacted to the match: 

https://twitter.com/cricBC/status/1114530180540837888

https://twitter.com/sagarcasm/status/1114529557388902400

Either you need Dre Russ or a big hearted bowler such as Chahar ? #IPl2019

— cricBC (@cricBC) April 6, 2019

I know KXIP made a mistake by not picking the extra spinner and it is difficult to tonk spinners on this wicket. However, to have wickets in hand and still lose… #CSKvKXIP

— Bharath Ramaraj (@Fancricket12) April 6, 2019

Not a Dhoni's day.

He missed DRS earlier and now bails didn't come off!

— Broken Cricket (@BrokenCricket) April 6, 2019

https://twitter.com/Sajjanlaunda/status/1114527552515842050

#CSK need a wicket or two now. The quicks have to bowl 3 of the last 7 overs and they have so far conceded 54 from their 5!

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) April 6, 2019

Imagine if it was the last over of the World Cup Final and the bails don't come off during a stumping attempt while the batsman @imVkohli is out of his crease and @benstokes38 is the bowler.

— absy (@absycric) April 6, 2019

For the second time, the bails have not fallen in Chennai after the stumps have been hit by the ball. Once in favor of Dhoni, once against him. #karma

— Shubh Aggarwal (@shubh_chintak) April 6, 2019

Dillacoop is an audacious, high risk stroke which Sarfraz seems to play with an amazingly high degree of success. CSK need a wicket or two badly now

— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) April 6, 2019

Bharat Ratna to Ravindra Jadeja, he is the only person in world who fooled MS Dhoni so many years that he is an all rounder.#CSKvKXIP

— sunil the cricketer (@1sInto2s) April 6, 2019

Tahir during bowling usually is as excited as Dulhan ki best saheli around Jiju. #IPL2019

— cricBC (@cricBC) April 6, 2019

CSK moved in fits and starts: Strong opening partnership suggesting a massive score, a sudden, a senseless slump which made even 140 look difficult, the superb finish to get 160. Defendable on this pitch?

— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) April 6, 2019

Wine
Leather Jacket
CSK player

The Older, The Better.

— Sagar (@sagarcasm) April 6, 2019

https://twitter.com/lndianCaptain/status/1114502382963056640?

So Dhoni is going to play the same way. He just backs himself every time to make up for the dots. To do it like he did today and the other day at chepauk. #IPL

— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) April 6, 2019

Something about MS Dhoni's shots in the foreground of the "Madras Cricket Club". Something nice about that sight. #IPL2019

— Manya (@CSKian716) April 6, 2019

The Vampire sting! #Dhoni
#CSKvKXIP pic.twitter.com/MF7dXUVbZp

— Abhay Anand ?? (@ABHAY_1987) April 6, 2019