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IPL Updates: Punjab Kings thrash CSK by 7 wickets

Wed, 01 May 2024

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23:35

Punjab Kings thrash CSK by 7 wickets

PBKS 163-3 (17.5 Ovs) vs CSK 162-7 | Scorecard

PBKS cruised to a comfortable victory, with Prabhsimran providing a brisk start before falling to Gleeson's first IPL wicket.

Rilee Rossouw's quick boundaries kept the momentum going after the powerplay. Later, Shashank Singh and Sam Curran efficiently guided PBKS to victory, securing a convincing win for the visitors.

23:29

Punjab Kings thrash CSK by 7 wickets

PBKS 163-3 (17.5 Ovs) vs CSK 162-7 | Scorecard

Richard Gleeson returns to the attack but begins with a no-ball as the ball slips from his hands. It's a free hit, but Sam Curran fails to make contact. However, he quickly makes amends by sending the next delivery to the boundary with a one-bounce shot. There's a fumble from Dube in the field.

There's a shout for LBW against Curran, and it's given by the umpire. Curran opts to review the decision, and the replay shows that the ball pitched outside leg, so the decision is overturned.

Curran remains at the crease. He then takes a single, leaving PBKS needing just 2 runs off 14 balls to win.

Shashank Singh finishes the match in style by hammering the winning runs, courtesy of an overthrow.

With that, Punjab Kings secure victory by 7 wickets.

23:20

Punjab Kings sniff victory

PBKS 155-3 (17 Ovs) vs CSK 162-7 | Scorecard

Mustafizur Rahman continues his spell, and Sam Curran pushes the ball to long on for a single. Shashank Singh misses the next delivery, unable to make contact. However, he finally manages to lay bat on ball and times it to deep point for a single.

On the next delivery, Shashank swings and misses, resulting in a wide. CSK decides to review it for height, but they run out of time, so the review is not taken. Two more dot balls follow as Shashank struggles to connect with the ball. Mustafizur bangs one in short, rushing Shashank into a pull shot, but he misses again.

Punjab decides to review this time, asking for a wide due to its height. The umpire agrees, and the wide is signaled. PBKS' 150 comes up, and the batsmen comfortably take an easy two. Shashank swings and misses again on the next delivery, which is also too wide.

Finally, the over ends with a single. 9 runs come off it. After 17 overs, PBKS stands at 155-3, needing 8 runs off 18 balls to win.

23:12

Punjab Kings in control

PBKS 146-3 (16 Ovs) vs CSK 162-7 | Scorecard

Maiden over from Fizz!

Due to the conditions, there's a ball change, and Moeen Ali returns to the attack. Sam Curran faces the first delivery but sends it back to the bowler, unable to score. He then plays towards long on for a single to get off strike.

Shashank Singh takes charge and smashes a massive six! He follows it up with a couple of runs. The batsmen then rotate the strike with two more singles to end the over.

11 runs come off the over, taking PBKS to 146-3 after 16 overs. With 17 runs needed from 24 balls, they are in a strong position to win.

22:58

Punjab Kings in control

PBKS 135-3 (14 Ovs) vs CSK 162-7 | Scorecard

Sam Curran joins Shashank Singh in the middle as the new batter. Richard Gleeson returns to the attack and begins with a wide. Shashank then plays towards deep third for a single, getting off strike. Curran gets off the mark as well with a single.

Shashank follows it up by whipping the ball towards deep square leg for another single. Curran then adds two easy singles to his tally. The over concludes with a single, bringing the total to 8 runs off it.

After 13 overs, PBKS stands at 122-3, needing 41 runs from 42 balls to win.

Shardul Thakur continues his spell, and Curran manages to secure a single. However, Shashank Singh faces a tough time and is beaten by the bowler. He then gets a lucky break as he skies one, but Mitchell drops the catch! Despite taking 5 catches in the previous match against SRH, he couldn't hold onto this one.

Shashank capitalises on the opportunity and adds a single to his score. Two more singles follow, and then Shashank finishes the over with a boundary. he has overstepped, no ball called. Free hit and Curran ends the over with a boundary.

In total, 13 runs come off the over, bringing PBKS to 135-3 after 14 overs. They now require 28 runs in 36 balls.

22:48

Thakur removes Rilee for 43; PBKS 3 down

PBKS 113-3 (12 Ovs) vs CSK 162-7 | Scorecard

Jadeja continues his spell, and Shashank Singh pushes the ball to long-off for a single. The umpires decide to change the ball as the current one appears to be too wet. Just two more runs come off the over, highlighting Jadeja's effectiveness.

PBKS scores 3 runs off it, reaching 99-2 after 11 overs. They now require 64 runs from 54 balls.

Shardul Thakur returns to the attack, and Shashank plays towards long on for a single. Rilee Rossouw then smashes a massive six! However, Thakur delivers a slower bouncer well outside off, resulting in a wide being called. Rilee adds a single to his tally. Shashank follows it up with a boundary, which he backs with a single.

But there's a twist as Rossouw is bowled out! He misses out on a full toss, and his wicket falls. Rilee departs for 43 off 23 balls. After 12 overs, PBKS is at 113-3, needing 50 runs from 48 balls to win.

22:34

Dube dismisses Bairstow; PBKS 2 down

PBKS 96-2 (10 Ovs) vs CSK 162-7 | Scorecard

Jadeja persists with his bowling, and Rilee Rossouw and Bairstow exchange singles on the first two deliveries. Bairstow then smashes a boundary off the third delivery. He defends the fuller and straighter delivery on the fourth ball.

The batsmen hustle for a second run on the fifth delivery, adding to the score. The over concludes with 9 runs coming off it, taking PBKS to 82-1 after 9 overs.

Shivam Dube steps into the attack, and Rilee Rossouw manages to pull the ball towards deep for a single on the first delivery.

However, on the second ball of the over, there's an edge, and Dube strikes! It's the second ball of his season, and he claims a wicket. Dhoni makes no mistake with the catch, and Bairstow has to depart for 46 off 30 balls.

Shashank Singh strides to the crease at No. 4 and gets off the mark immediately with a single. Meanwhile, Rilee Rossouw showcases his power by pulling a delivery for a six! He follows it up with a couple of runs.

In the same over, Rilee finds the gap perfectly and manages to add a boundary to his tally. The over concludes with 14 runs scored off it, taking PBKS to 96-2 after 10 overs.

With 67 runs needed from 60 balls, PBKS seems to be in a comfortable position in their chase.

22:23

Bairstow on a rampage!

PBKS 73-1 (8 Ovs) vs CSK 162-7 | Scorecard

Ravindra Jadeja is brought into the attack, and Bairstow starts the over with a quick single, cutting the ball to short third. Rilee Rossouw flicks the next delivery to short fine leg for a single. Bairstow then cuts the ball to fine leg but fails to score.

However, he quickly makes up for it by slamming a boundary off the next delivery. The following delivery is a dot ball, but Bairstow ends the over with another boundary.

PBKS scores 10 runs off the over, reaching 62-1 after 7 overs.

Moeen Ali is introduced into the attack, and Rilee Rossouw starts cautiously, defending the first two deliveries. He then turns the third delivery to deep midwicket for a single, rotating the strike.

Bairstow attempts a sweep shot on the fourth delivery but misses. However, he makes amends by smashing a six off the next delivery.

The over concludes with a boundary, adding 11 runs to PBKS's total. After 8 overs, PBKS stands at 73-1.

22:18

PBKS lose Prabhsimran early

PBKS 52-1 (6 Ovs) vs CSK 162-7 | Scorecard

Mustafizur Rahman continues and Bairstow mistimes the first delivery, unable to score. However, he manages to play the next one towards mid-off for a single. The following delivery is defended back to the bowler.

Bairstow then takes charge, slamming a boundary off the next ball. Mustafizur strays down the leg side, and a wide is called.

Bairstow concludes the over with another boundary, adding 10 runs to PBKS's total. After 5 overs, PBKS is 39-1.

Shardul Thakur takes the ball, and Bairstow greets him with a boundary. However, he can't beat mid-off on the next delivery and settles for a single. Rilee Rossouw joins the action with a single, cutting the ball to point.

Bairstow continues to find boundaries, but Rizvi's fielding effort restricts him to just two runs this time.

The over concludes with a single. PBKS scores 13 runs off the over, reaching 52-1 after the powerplay.

22:04

Gleeson strikes! PBKS lose Prabhsimran

PBKS 29-1 (4 Ovs) vs CSK 162-7 | Scorecard

Mustafizur Rahman is brought into the attack, and Prabhsimran Singh pushes the ball towards mid-on for a single. Bairstow jabs at the next delivery but hits it straight to the fielder, unable to score. There's a chance of a run-out, but Rizvi misses, allowing a single for Bairstow. Prabhsimran then defends the ball, standing tall.

Bairstow faces another play and a miss before playing towards square leg for a single. Gaikwad appeals to the umpire and then signals for a review. However, the replay shows a thick inside-edge onto the pad, and CSK players missed that, resulting in the review being burned early on. The over concludes with 3 runs scored, with PBKS at 19-0 after 3 overs.

Gleeson continues his impressive start in the IPL and earns his first wicket of the season! Prabhsimran departs for 13 off 10 balls, caught by Gaikwad who takes a good catch. Gleeson is ecstatic, and CSK celebrates the breakthrough.

Rilee Rossouw strides to the crease as the new batter. He announces his arrival with a boundary, getting off the mark in style. And it's back-to-back boundaries for Rossouw, showcasing a brilliant start to his innings.

After the flurry of boundaries, Rossouw defends the next delivery. Prabhsimran and Rossouw then exchange two singles to end the over.

10 runs and a wicket come off the over, bringing PBKS to 29-1 after 4 overs. With 134 runs needed from 96 balls, the chase is still within reach for PBKS.

22:01

Deepak Chahar walks off the field

PBKS 16-0 (2 Ovs) vs CSK 162-7 | Scorecard

In the chase, PBKS sends Prabhsimran Singh to the crease, with Deepak Chahar opening the attack for CSK and two slips in place.

Prabhsimran faces the first delivery but is beaten. However, he quickly recovers, slamming a boundary off the next ball.

Unfortunately, there's a setback for CSK as Chahar appears to have picked up an injury. Despite having a word with Gaikwad, Chahar grimaces and decides to walk off the field, just two balls into his spell. It's an unfortunate turn of events for CSK.

Shardul Thakur takes over the bowling duties from Chahar.

Prabhsimran welcomes him with a massive six! He defends the next delivery before driving to deep backward point for a single. Bairstow also gets off the mark with a single. 12 runs come off the first over, giving PBKS a strong start to their chase.

Richard Gleeson makes his CSK debut and begins his spell with Bairstow facing him. Bairstow swings and misses the first delivery, and the pattern repeats with another play and miss. Gleeson continues his impressive start, beating Bairstow's bat once more, and this time rapping him on the pads with an outswinger.

Gleeson varies his line and length, delivering wide of the crease and full on the stumps. Bairstow drives the ball to mid-on but doesn't manage to score any runs. However, Bairstow concludes the over with a boundary, adding 4 runs to PBKS's total.

After 2 overs, PBKS stands at 16-0. Gleeson's debut over showcases an excellent start for CSK.

21:31

CSK set 163-run target for Punjab

CSK 162-7 (20 Ovs) vs PBKS | Scorecard

CSK wraps up their innings with a total of 162-7. While Gaikwad's 62 was a standout performance, the other batters struggled to make a significant impact against the bowling attack.

Rahul Chahar and Harpreet Brar emerged as the stars of the middle overs, dominating the CSK batters and keeping them from scoring boundaries.

Their disciplined bowling performance played a crucial role in restricting CSK to a manageable total.

21:28

CSK set 163-run target for Punjab

CSK 162-7 (20 Ovs) vs PBKS | Scorecard

Arshdeep Singh begins the final over with a wide, and Dhoni capitalizes on the next delivery, slamming a boundary towards long off. Sam Curran has a brief chat with Arshdeep Singh before the next delivery. Dhoni swings and misses, resulting in a wide down the leg side. The following delivery, a low full toss around off stump, sees Dhoni attempting a sliced shot, but he fails to connect, and there's no run as Mitchell is sent back.

Arshdeep then delivers a short ball on middle, and Dhoni is too slow to get into position for the pull shot. The ball goes through to Jitesh behind the stumps as Dhoni misses the swing. He appeals for a no-ball, but it's not given. On the next delivery, Dhoni takes a big step on the off side and launches a six high and mighty over cover, adding valuable runs to the total.

However, Dhoni's streak of unbeaten innings ends at 7 as he is run out attempting a second run. It's good work from Harshal and Jitesh. Dhoni departs for 14 off 11 balls.

CSK conclude their innings with a total of 162-7.

21:16

Chahar removes Moeen; CSK 6 down

CSK 149-6 (19 Ovs) vs PBKS | Scorecard

Chahar takes up the attack, and Dhoni faces the spin but fails to score. After a dot ball, Dhoni finally manages to sneak in a single. However, on the next delivery, Chahar strikes! He knocks over Moeen Ali, who departs for 15 runs off 9 balls. Chahar's wicket silences the crowd once more.

Mitchell takes his place as the new batter. He is off the mark with a single.

Dhoni ends the over with a single. After 19 overs CSK are 149-6.

21:15

Gaikwad departs after scoring his fifty

CSK 146-5 (18 Ovs) vs PBKS | Scorecard

Arshdeep returns to the attack, delivering a slower ball bouncer, but it's too wide outside off and left alone by Moeen, resulting in a wide being called. Moeen seizes the opportunity and smashes the next delivery for a six! Bairstow at long off attempts a catch but can only parry the ball over the boundary. Moeen then sends the following ball back to the bowler before hitting a boundary on the next delivery. Another wide is called by the umpire. Moeen manages to add a single, with the delivery being very wide.

However, Arshdeep gets the better of Gaikwad, dismissing him for 62 off 48 balls.

With the roar of Chepauk, Dhoni strides to the crease. He gets off the mark immediately with a single. The score for CSK now stands at 146-5 after 18 overs.

21:02

Gaikwad slams fifty!

CSK 131-4 (17 Ovs) vs PBKS | Scorecard

Sam Curran returns to the attack, and Moeen Ali manages to take a single off the first ball. However, the umpire calls it a no-ball for height, but Curran decides to review the decision. The review confirms that the ball's height is above the waist of the batsman, so it remains a no-ball.

Gaikwad takes full advantage of the free hit, slamming a six!

This brings up his fifty, a crucial milestone given the circumstances, and also marks the first six of the game. He follows it up with a single, bringing his total to 503 runs in the Orange Cap race, surpassing Kohli's 500.

Moeen Ali then adds a single, but Gaikwad can't beat the field at point and fails to score. However, he ends the over with another six, a glorious shot.

20 runs come off the over, with CSK's total reaching 131-4 after 17 overs.

20:54

Rabada dismisses Rizvi; CSK 4 down

CSK 111-4 (16 Ovs) vs PBKS | Scorecard

Harshal Patel is introduced into the attack, but he starts off with five wides, gifting CSK a boundary. Gaikwad then drives for a single, followed by Rizvi and Gaikwad dealing in singles. Despite their efforts, the impact isn't quite significant for CSK at this point. With 2 runs, Gaikwad brings up the team's 100 in 14.5 overs.

The over concludes with a single. 12 runs are scored from it, taking CSK's total to 102-3 after 15 overs.

Rabada continues,, and Gaikwad takes a single off the first delivery. Sameer Rizvi then slams a boundary, attempting an uppercut over third man, but Harshal Patel slides and completes the catch with precision. Rizvi departs for 21 runs off 23 balls.

Moeen Ali is the new batter and he is off the mark with a single. After 16 overs CSK are 111-4.

20:42

CSK struggle to find the fence

CSK 90-3 (14 Ovs) vs PBKS | Scorecard

Brar continues and Rizvi exercises caution, resulting in a dot ball. The batters then exchange a single each. Gaikwad plays a shot in the air, but it lands safely, allowing Rizvi to pick up another single. Gaikwad then adds a single of his own.

The over concludes with 4 runs scored, bringing CSK's total to 85-3 after 13 overs.

With figures of 2/17, Brar finishes his spell, and another time-out is taken.

Rabada returns to the attack, and Gaikwad swiftly takes a quick single. Rizvi mistimes the next delivery but manages to pick up two runs. Again, he mistimes the ball, but this time only earns a single. Gaikwad attempts to make room for a shot but can only guide it to short third for no runs. A single follows.

The over concludes with a dot ball. Only 5 runs are scored from the over, with CSK's total reaching 90-3 after 14 overs.

20:30

CSK lose three quick wickets

CSK 81-3 (12 Ovs) vs PBKS | Scorecard

Harpreet Brar continues his spell, and Rizvi drives to cover, managing to pick up a couple of runs. Chahar fields well, preventing Rizvi from scoring on the next delivery. Rizvi then drives towards cover again, this time earning two more runs. Two dot balls follow before Rizvi concludes the over with a single.

A total of 5 runs are scored from the over, taking CSK's score to 76-3 after 11 overs.

Chahar continues his spell, commencing with two dot balls. Rizvi then drives to cover for a single, followed by Gaikwad playing towards deep point for another single. A quick single ensues, with a lousy runout attempt, but Rizvi survives. Gaikwad then plays towards long on for a single to end the over.

Another 5 runs are added to the total, bringing CSK to 81-3 after 12 overs.

20:29

CSK lose three quick wickets

CSK 71-3 (10 Ovs) vs PBKS | Scorecard

Chahar continues his spell, delivering a ball that hits Gaikwad on the body, prompting him to play towards long on for a single. Jadeja follows with a cut shot to point for another single. Gaikwad manages to add one more run to the total.

There's a huge appeal for LBW against Jadeja, and after a deliberation, the umpire raises his finger. However, Gaikwad opts to review the decision. Upon review, it's evident that the bat is nowhere near the ball, prompting the TV umpire to move directly to ball-tracking, which confirms the ball crashing into the leg stump.

CSK exhausts their second review as Jadeja departs for 2 runs off 4 balls.

Sameer Rizvi takes the crease and promptly gets off the mark with a single.

The over concludes with 4 runs and the loss of a wicket. After 10 overs, CSK's score stands at 71-3.

20:17

Harpreet dismiss Rahane, Dube

CSK 67-2 (9 Ovs) vs PBKS | Scorecard

Harpreet Brar is introduced into the attack, and both Gaikwad and Rahane opt for singles, dealing cautiously with his bowling. The over proves to be tidy, yielding just 5 runs for CSK.

At the end of 7 overs, CSK's total stands at 60-0. With the over completed, a time-out is taken to strategize further.

Rahul Chahar is introduced into the attack, and Gaikwad mistimes the first delivery, failing to score any runs. Despite Chahar getting some turn on the ball, Gaikwad manages to cut it to point for a single. Rahane then powers past the bowler for another single, followed by Gaikwad jabbing towards midwicket for one more run. Rahane flicks the ball to point but fails to pick up any runs.

The over concludes with a single, resulting in just 4 runs scored from it. After 8 overs, PBKS reaches 64-0.

Harpreet Brar continues, and Rahane attempts to jab the ball towards cover, but it's fielded excellently. However, the following delivery brings a breakthrough for PBKS as Brar claims his first wicket of IPL 2024! Rossouw executes an excellent catch, resulting in Rahane's departure for 29 runs off 24 balls.

Jadeja strides to the crease, immediately getting off the mark with a single. Gaikwad follows suit, pushing the ball to cover for another single. The over concludes with a dot ball.

Only 3 runs are added to the total, accompanied by the loss of two wickets.

After 9 overs, CSK stands at 67-2.

Following his inclusion in the T20 World Cup team, Dube is promoted to No. 3 in the batting order. However, Brar's over begins with a wide delivery. Then, a significant LBW appeal follows, and the decision goes in favour of the bowling side!

Dube attempts a big heave across the line but misses the ball, and it strikes him on the back leg. The verdict confirms the ball crashing into the middle stump, resulting in Dube's dismissal for a golden duck!

20:00

Rahane on a rampage!

CSK 55-0 (6 Ovs) vs PBKS | Scorecard

Arshdeep returns to bowl from the other end as Gaikwad takes a quick single to kick off the over. Rahane slashes the ball over backward point for an impressive boundary, followed by a single. Gaikwad showcases his skills by picking up a beautifully timed four off a slower ball. He then attempts a swing but misses, prompting an LBW appeal from Arshdeep, which is ultimately denied. The CSK skipper concludes the over with another boundary.

A total of 14 runs are added to the scoreboard, bringing CSK's total to 37-0 after five overs.

Curran continues as Rahane and Gaikwad rotate the strike, each taking a single. However, a couple of legbyes follow as Jitesh dives but fails to stop the ball, allowing it to race to the boundary. Rahane then sends the ball airborne, narrowly evading a fielder and dropping just in front of the rope, resulting in four runs for Rahane. The momentum continues as Rahane scores another boundary, followed by yet another four on the next delivery, completing a hat-trick of boundaries.

A total of 18 runs are amassed from the over, concluding the powerplay with CSK at an impressive 55-0.

19:52

Rabada, Curran stifle the run flow

CSK 23-0 (4 Ovs) vs PBKS | Scorecard

Rabada continues, Rahane drives the ball, but it's expertly fielded at cover, denying any runs. The next delivery strikes the pads, resulting in a legbye. Gaikwad misses the subsequent ball but manages to play it towards fine leg, opting against a single. However, he quickly rectifies with a clip for a single. Rahane concludes the over with a boundary, his first of the night.

The over yields 6 runs, bringing CSK's total to 20-0 after three overs.

Sam Curran introduces himself into the attack, beginning with two dot balls. He then delivers a slower ball, prompting Gaikwad to drive towards the square side, earning a couple of runs. However, Gaikwad gets distracted by the spider-cam and withdraws from a delivery very late, causing Curran's ball to crash into the stumps. Gaikwad manages to play towards deep extra cover for a single on the next delivery. Rahane opts not to take a run on the following ball. The over concludes with another dot ball.

Only three runs are scored from the over, leaving CSK at 23-0 after four overs.

19:50

CSK off to a good start

CSK 14-0 (2 Ovs) vs PBKS | Scorecard

Opening the attack in his 200th T20 match, Rabada kicks off with a short ball that catches Rahane on the glove, resulting in no runs. Rahane manages to get off the mark with a single. Gaikwad, facing two slips, also opens his account with a single, flicking the ball to deep backward point. Another short delivery from Rabada allows Rahane to play on the backfoot and secure a single.

The over concludes with a single, leaving Punjab pleased as only 4 runs were scored in the first over.

Arshdeep Singh, a member of India's T20 World Cup squad, takes the ball from the other end. Gaikwad misses the first delivery, which has some height to it, but Jitesh behind the stumps collects it cleanly. Gaikwad responds by smashing a boundary, marking the first boundary of the evening, and follows it up with a single. Rahane then plays towards deep backward point for another single. Gaikwad showcases his creativity with a cheeky shot that results in another boundary.

10 runs are accumulated from the over, bringing CSK's total to 14-0 after two overs.

19:21

Here are the Playing XIs

Teams:

Chennai Super Kings: Ajinkya Rahane, Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Daryl Mitchell, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w), Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Richard Gleeson, Mustafizur Rahman

Impact Subs: Sameer Rizvi, Mukesh Choudhary, Simarjeet Singh, Shaik Rasheed, Prashant Solanki

Punjab Kings: Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran(c), Rilee Rossouw, Shashank Singh, Jitesh Sharma(w), Ashutosh Sharma, Harpreet Brar, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh

Impact Subs: Prabhsimran Singh, Liam Livingstone, Rishi Dhawan, Vidhwath Kaverappa, Harpreet Singh Bhatia

19:07

Punjab win toss; opt to bowl vs CSK

Punjab Kings have won the toss and have opted to field.

Sam Curran has opted to bowl first, citing the promising conditions on the fresh wicket.

He expresses excitement following the team's previous match and acknowledges the impressive atmosphere in the stadium.

Curran highlights the team's confidence from their recent successful chase of 261 runs.

Ruturaj Gaikwad mentions that while they would have preferred to field first, they were uncertain about the decision. He acknowledges the challenges of defending on a dewy pitch but draws confidence from their previous victory, showcasing the team's strength.

Gaikwad informs that they will be without Pathirana and Tushar Deshpande for this match due to injury concerns. Consequently, Shardul Thakur returns to the lineup, and Richard Gleeson will make his debut.

18:29

CSK can't afford to take Punjab lightly

Hello and welcome to the coverage of the IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings in Chennai on Wednesday.

An inconsistent Chennai Super Kings will have to display all-round solidity when they face an unpredictable Punjab Kings.

CSK are third in the standings with 10 points from nine matches -- same as Lucknow Super Giants, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals. The defending champions would like to break away from the mid-table gridlock with a crucial victory against Punjab Kings, who have struggled for consistency with three wins from nine games.

However, CSK can ill-afford to take Punjab lightly, who are coming in to this match after chasing down a world record total of 262 against Kolkata Knight Riders, the highest chase in the history of T20 cricket.

However, a few days before that game CSK's bowlers had suffered as Lucknow Super Giants' batters chased down a huge 211 for victory. The hosts will hope for a disciplined showing from their bowlers to keep the Punjab's rampaging batting line-up in check.

All eyes will once again be on skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is on a hot streak. Gaikwad has registered scores of 108 and 98 in his last two innings and Kiwi all-rounder Daryl Mitchell too seemed to have regained his touch at just the right time with a 32-ball 52 against Hyderabad.

However, the real storm-force in the CSK line-up is Shivam Dube, who has pulverised the opposition bowlers with his big-hitting prowess in the middle overs.

While Dube has always been a spin-basher, the left-hander has now added another angle to his batting with his effective tackling of pacers. Dube has proved to be unstoppable in IPL 2024, smashing 350 runs at a strike-rate of 172.41, second only to Mahendra Singh Dhoni's 259.45.

However, the CSK opening combination continues to be a bit iffy. Gaikwad has been a solid presence but both now-dropped Rachin Ravindra and Ajinkya Rahane have not been able to play the support role to their skipper.

Rahane's last four outings as opener produced scores of 5, 36, 1, 9, and those numbers don't reflect his experience or skill-level. However, CSK in all likelihood will continue to back him.

Batting coach Michael Hussey had remarked that the 35-year-old was close to getting a big knock under his belt.

On the other hand, PBKS will be desperate to carry the momentum after that record chase against KKR and climb up the ladder from the current eighth place.

For that, their batters need to fire in unison once again and the onus is on Jonny Bairstow, who slammed a hundred against KKR, along with their in-form batting starts in Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma and Prabhsimran Singh.

It remains to be seen if regular captain Shikhar Dhawan makes a comeback against CSK, having missed the last few games because of a shoulder injury.

They will also be hoping for an impactful knock from their vice-captain Jitesh Sharma, who has been reliable with the gloves but has not excelled with the bat so far.

PBKS' bowling department looks a bit shaky despite having experienced campaigners such as Kagiso Rabada, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh and Sam Curran in their ranks.

The visitors will also require a much-improved effort from their spinners -- Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar as they have scalped just seven wickets among them this season, while going for a lot of runs.

IPL Updates: Punjab Kings thrash CSK by 7 wickets

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