IPL 2020 Points Table: MI Qualify For The Playoffs After CSK Consign KKR To Their Second Consecutive Defeat

A majestic knock by Ruturaj Gaikwad and a whirlwind cameo by Ravindra Jadeja, who smoked an unbeaten 11-ball 31, had helped Chennai Super Kings [CSK] gun down the total of 173 to not only inflict a second consecutive defeat on Kolkata Knight Riders [KKR] but also ensure that Mumbai Indians [MI] are the first side to officially qualify for the playoffs.

It was yet another Ruturaj Gaikwad show in the second consecutive Chennai Super Kings run-chase. The young Indian batsman looked as if he had picked up right from where he had left against RCB.

Be it the pace of Pat Cummins and Lockie Ferguson or the spin of Varun Chakravarthy, Ruturaj Gaikwad looked at breathtaking ease as he smashed yet another classy half-century.

Gaikwad’s authoritive strokeplay in the first powerplay ensured that CSK ended up with 0-48. Shane Watson stroked a brilliant six off Kamlesh Nagarkoti but barring that he did not have an outing to remember and he was eventually dismissed by Varun Chakravarthy after he failed to clear the long-off boundary.

Amabti Rayudu smoked three consecutive boundaries off Nitish Rana to break the shackles post which Gaikwad enthralled us once again with a classy backfoot punch followed by an authoritative pull against Lockie Ferguson.

Rayudu, on the other hand, was on a complete rampage as he smashed Nagarkoti and Cummins for a six and consecutive boundaries during his 20-ball 38 before finally holing out to Sunil Narine of the bowling off Pat Cummins over mid-off.  MS Dhoni once again failed to counter Varun Chakravarty and was cleaned up courtesy a googly. Back-to-back dismissals thwarted CSK’s charge. With 41 required off the last 21, Ruturaj Gaikwad stroked a much-needed boundary- slog sweep over square-leg off Lockie Ferguson. Gaikwad ultimately fell in the 18th over after he failed to connect the scoop to get castled by Pat Cummins.

With 33 needed off 16 balls, CSK needed Ravindra Jadeja [31 off 11 balls] to pull-off yet another cameo. And, he did exactly that.  The southpaw [31* off 11 balls] smashed Ferguson for a couple of boundaries and a six over mid-wicket before teeing into Kamlesh Nagarkoti, who had bowled 4 brilliant deliveries, for consecutive sixes to help CSK nail down the target.

 

KKR posted 5-172 thanks to Nitish Rana’s belligerence

Earlier, riding on Nitish Rana’s whirlwind 61-ball 87 helped Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) post 5-172 after 20 overs.

Batting first, KKR, thanks to Shubman Gill, who looked pretty brilliant in his brisk knock of 17-ball 26 and Nitish Rana’s assault against Mitchell Santner in the 6th over, posted their highest total of the powerplay- 0-48.

But the introduction of spin bowling on a slow track led to a mini-collapse that saw KKR lose the likes of Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, and Rinku Singh between overs 7-13.

KKR managed just 45 runs in between overs 7-13 for the loss of three wickets before Nitish Rana, en-route to his half-century, finally threw caution to winds by smoking Karn Sharma for three consecutive sixes in the 15th over.

After having taken 44 balls for his fifty, Rana scored his last 37 runs in a mere 17 balls before eventually holing out to Lungi Ngidi. Post Rana’s assault, Dinesh Karthik’s breezy 10-ball 21 ensured that KKR eventually ended up with 5-172 in 20 overs.

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Here’s how IPL 2020 points table is looking after CSK’s six-wicket win over KKR-