Powered by fine bowling from R Jesuraj and Shabbir Ahmed, Chennai Superstars registered an emphatic 35-run victory over Ahmedabad Rockets in a truncated ICL T20 match at the Lal Bahadur Shastri stadium on Tuesday night.
R Jesuraj and Ahmed prevented the Ahmedabad batsmen from reaching the target of 143 in the stipulated 16 overs as the target was revised after power supply went off for some time.
Except Reetinder Singh Sodhi and skipper Damien Martyn who put up a brave fight, the remaining Ahmedabad batsmen surrerendered meekly as the Ahmedabad side lost six wickets in the last five overs.
Jesuraj, Ahmed along with Ian Harvey, kept up the pressure on the rival batsmen from the beginning as they dismissed openers R Campbell and P Aziz by the third over.
The partnership of Martyn (52) and Sodhi (23), that threatened to take the game away from the Chennai team, was broken following the latters run-out after a brilliant throw by South African Nantie Hayward.
Martyn's 52 came off just 38 deliveries with a huge six and seven boundaries while Sodhi made a quick-fire 23 in just 16 balls that had three boundaries in it.
However, the good contribution by the duo went in vain as the other batsmen of Ahmedabad Rockcets fell apart like a pack of cards.
Earlier, Chennai Superstars, put into bat, scored 135 runs in 16 overs when play was disrupted after the lights went off for some time. Following the interruption, the target for the Ahmedabad team was revised, according to the VJD method, to 143 to be scored in 16 overs.
Superb fielding by the Ahmedabad players resulted in run-outs of three of the five Chennai batsmen though G Vignesh, Russel Arnold and captain R Satish scored runs on a fast track hitting sixes and several fours.
Vignesh was on song hitting three sixes and two boundaries thus making 38 runs off 29 deliveries, though his partners Harvey and J Hariesh returned to the pavilion after being run out in quick succession.
Arnold, who joined the party, made 46 in just 38 balls hitting four boundaries and a huge six. He received good support from Satish who chipped in with an unbeaten 27 that included two fours and a six.
As many as 17 runs were added to the Chennai teams kitty by way of extras including eight wides.
Sodhi claimed the wickets of the dangerous-looking Vignesh and Arnold while three others were run-out.
Arnold was adjudged the Man of the Match for his superb knock.
