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Iyer and Chahal star as Punjab eliminate Chennai from playoff race

football30 April 2025 18:21| © MWP
By:Neil Manthorp
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Shreyas Iyer’s magnificent 72 from 41 balls led the Punjab Kings to a thrilling four-wicket victory against the beleaguered Chennai Super Kings in their IPL match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday.

Sam Curran earlier compiled a silky 88 from just 47 balls to lead the home side to a competitive total of 190 all out but Punjab’s Impact Player, Prabhsimran Singh, crashed 54 from 36 balls to set up the run chase and Iyer (almost) completed the job before being bowled by Sri Lankan slinger Matheesha Pathirana (4-0-45-2) with just three runs to win.

With 41 required form the final four overs Iyer drove Pathirana for two straight sixes and a four to take 21 off the over and all-but win the game before inside-edging a yorker from the Sri Lankan onto his stumps.

A succession of dot balls left Punjab requiring just a single from the final three balls but the tension bubble was burst when Marco Jansen bottom-edged a pull shot against seamer Khaleel Ahmed past the ‘keeper to the boundary to clinch victory at 194-6 with just two balls to spare.

Curran, who was the most expensive player in IPL history just two years ago but has struggled for game time in this year’s tournament, gathered nine fours and four sixes batting at No 3 driving sumptuously straight down the ground and perfecting the leg-side ‘pick-up’ flick and pull.

Chennai lost both openers cheaply and when Ravindra Jadeja (17) edged spinner Harpreet Brar to ‘keeper Josh Inglis the men in yellow were 48-3 inside the Power Play.

But Dewald Brevis displayed acute game awareness in contributing a restrained 32 from 26 balls (2x4, 1x6) to a partnership of 78 with Curran which restored order.

Nonetheless the Super Kings lost six wickets in the final, frenetic 11-balls including four – and a hat-trick – in legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal’s third and final over giving him figures of 3-0-32-4.

Foury-three-year-old MS Dhoni (11) hammered a four and a six in his first three balls before holing out inches inside the long off boundary against Chahal with his fourth and Deepak Hooda sliced to cover.

Anshul Kamboj (0) was clean bowled by a quicker ball and Afghan spinner Noor Ahmed carved his first ball straight up to Marco Jansen to gift Chahal his hat-trick.

Opening bowlers Arshdeep Singh (2-25) and Jansen (2-30) were also instrumental, at both ends of the innings, in CSK’s inability to capitalise on Curran’s innings and a platform for what should have been a higher score at 172-4 with three overs to go.

The result sees CSK eliminated from playoff contention with just two wins and four points from 10 matches while Punjab move into sole possession of second place on the log with their sixth win and 13 points from 10 games.

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS: Shaik Rasheed, Ayush Mhatre, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Deepak Hooda, MS Dhoni (captain/wkt), Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana

PUNJAB KINGS: Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Josh Inglis (wkt), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Harpreet Brar, Marco Jansen, Azmatullah Omarzai, Suryansh Shedge, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh

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