CSK toss against Punjab Kings © IPL
Devon Conway’s prolific form continued with a fifth half century in nine matches to propel Chennai Super Kings to a daunting total of 200-4 after choosing to bat first in their IPL match against the Punjab Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday afternoon.
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The New Zealand opener finished unbeaten on 92 from 52 balls using precision, timing and innovation rather than power to collect 16 fours and a solitary six.
An opening stand of 86 with the almost equally prolific Ruturaj Gaikwad (37) ended with a stumping by Jitesh Sharma off the bowling of Zimbabwean offspinner Sikandar Raza but Shivam Dube maintained the momentum with two sixes in a brisk 28 from 17 balls.
Englishman Moeen Ali (10) departed in the same manner off the bowling of legspinner Rahul Chahar and the usually prolific Ravindra Jadeja 12 from 10 balls) was kept in check by some skilful death-bowling from Arshdeep Singh (1-37) and Kagiso Rabada (4-0-34-0).
A total well in excess of 200 seemed likely for most of the innings but the 200-mark was only reached when 42-year-old MS Dhoni hit the final two balls of the innings from Sam Curran (4-0-46-1) for six to finish with 13* from four balls.
The home side are in second place with 10 points from eight games with Punjab two points further behind with four wins from eight games.
CHENNAI SUPER KINGS: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w/c), Matheesha Pathirana, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana
PUNJAB KINGS: Atharva Taide, Shikhar Dhawan(c), Liam Livingstone, Sikandar Raza, Sam Curran, Jitesh Sharma(w), Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh
