Top Performers: Rutu, Moeen

Hosting a game at the M A Chidambaram stadium in Chennai after four long years meant that Chennai Super Kings had to deliver and they didn't let their home fans down.

Put in to bat by Lucknow Super Giants Skipper K L Rahul, CSK got off to a brilliant start. Ruturaj Gaikwad (57 off 31) and Devon Conway (47 off 29) stepped on the accelerator from the get go.

• Scorecard

With the track as flat as a dosa tawa, Rutu and Conway smashed the bowlers to all corners, they were particularly severe on spinner Krishnappa Gowtham whom they clobbered for 20 runs in the 5th over. CSK scored 79 for no loss at the end of the Powerplay overs, the highest the franchise achieved in the IPL.

Be it pace or spin, both batters batted with aggression; Gaikwad getting to his 50 off just 25 deliveries.

Ravi Bishnoi then struck in his first over, taking out Gaikwad for 57. Conway was out next over for 47, but the openers had done their job. They had laid the platform for a big total, allowing Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali and Ambati Rayudu to capitalise on it and boost CSK to a massive score of 217 for 7.

Chasing 218 on a track like that would not be a major task given the names on LSG's team sheet.

So when Rahul and Kyle Mayers -- who also hit a second successive 50 -- came out to finish the task, they wasted no time in going after the likes of Deepak Chahar and Ben Stokes before Moeen stepped into the arena and changed the complexion of the game.

He first had Mayers out for 53 before dismissing Rahul and Krunal Pandya in no time. Four overs later, he struck again, bowling Marcus Stoinis for 21 off 18.

Nicholas Pooran tried to keep LSG in the game with his big hits, but with four big wickets back in the hut, Moeen had done well to bring the momentum in CSK's favour before they eventually won by 12 runs.

Moeen bowled tight, frustrating the batters with his accuracy and finished with figures of 4 for 26.

• IPL 2023