Chennai Super Kings defeated Lucknow Super Kings by five wickets on Sunday to keep their playoff chances alive, while the daring Urvil Patel tied the record for the fastest fifty in IPL history.
Josh Inglis scored an incredible 85 runs while batting first, but the CSK spinners came back to stop LSG at 203/8.
LSG’s prospects of making the playoffs vanished after the loss, which was their eighth in 11 games. Jamie Overton (3/36), who removed Inglis and Rishabh Pant in three balls, deserves a great deal of credit for the CSK recovery. Shahbaz Ahmed then contributed a helpful 43 off 25 balls.
With four balls left, CSK knocked overhauled the target of 204 thanks to Urvil’s heroics and some smart batting from Shivam Dube (15 not out off 7 balls) and Prashant Veer (17 not out off 12 balls). Dube hit two consecutive sixes to seal the deal for CSK.
Urvil joined current record holder Yashasvi Jaiswal in reaching his half-century in 13 balls after blasting away to 65 in 23 balls with the aid of eight sixes and two fours.
Before Urvil launched a spectacular onslaught on the LSG attack, attacking players like Digvesh Rathi and Avesh Khan and not sparing even seasoned campaigner Mohammed Shami, Sanju Samson gave the early impetus with a quick 28.
Urvil, who was sent in at number three, struck three straight sixes off Avesh before smashing 25 runs off Rathi, including three more maximums and a four. Before finishing his fifty with a single to the off-side, he also went for India pacer Shami, smashing the bowler over his head for another massive hit over mid-wicket.
Urvil turned a record-equalling achievement into a very personal homage to his father Mukesh Patel, who was instrumental in helping him become a professional cricket player, by looking up at the sky after reaching his half-century and pulling a piece of paper with the words “This is for you Papa” written on it from his pocket.
By the end of the 10 overs, Urvil and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who played the supporting role flawlessly, made sure CSK was firmly in control. Dube and Veer then completed the task for CSK.
Earlier, Inglis launched a vicious attack in the powerplay on the CSK bowlers, propelling the visitors to 77/0 after five overs.
While Mitchell Marsh (10) played the ideal supporting role at the other end as CSK’s bowling attack tried to stop the early onslaught, Inglis was the main aggressor, speeding to a half-century off just 17 deliveries.
Marsh was dismissed by Anshul Kamboj during the powerplay, but the attack persisted. After Akeal Hosein gave up 16 runs in the first over, Inglis attacked the left-arm spinner with two boundaries and a six right away.
As the Australian wicketkeeper-batter continued to reach the fence with incredible ease, Anshul and Mukesh Choudhary too faced intense pressure. On a muggy Chennai afternoon, LSG maintained a run-rate of more than 15 runs per over with the ball coming sweetly onto the bat, putting CSK down early in a pivotal match for both teams. By the end of Powerplay, CSK was 91/1.
But after Nicholas Pooran (1) was dismissed by Noor Ahmad with a googly, Jamie Overton took Inglis’s huge wicket when the batter attempted to play the scoop shot but was nicked, allowing Sanju Samson to make a fine catch behind the stumps. Inglis used ten fours and six maximums to reach 85 in just 33 balls.
An Overton delivery struck the stumps after an edge, leaving the visitors at 115/4 in the tenth over, and LSG captain Rishabh Pant’s terrible run with the bat continued when he was dismissed after a scratchy 12-ball 15.
LSG were reduced to 130/5 at the start of the 13th over after Aiden Markram was run out for ten by Dewald Brevis. Then, to assist LSG surpass 200, Shahbaz and Himmat Singh (17) added 50 runs for the sixth wicket.
