Chahal’s hat-trick sets up win for Punjab Kings, another defeat for Chennai at home

Punjab Kings have moved up to second in the table with 13 points while CSK are on 10th with just four points, and their play-off hopes were eliminated with this result

Chennai: Shreyas Iyer and Prabhsimran Singh made well-measured fifties after a splendid hat-trick by Yuzvendra Chahal as Punjab Kings’ four-wicket victory knocked out five-time champions Chennai Super Kings out of this season’s IPL play-off race here on Wednesday.

Riding on the late four-wicket haul from Chahal (4/32), including a hat-trick, PBKS bowled out CSK for 190, and despite a little stumbling towards the end, the visitors got over the line with two of balls to spare, scoring 194/6.

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Shreyas (72, 41b, 5×4, 4×6) and Prabhsimran (54, 36 balls, 5x4s, 3×6) were the architects of the victory.

PBKS have moved up to second in the table with 13 points while CSK are on 10th with just four points, and their improbable play-off hopes too were eliminated with this result.

Skipper Iyer responded with a meticulous fifty — his fourth since taking charge of PBKS — while Prabhsimran brought up his third half-century of the season as the two forged a crucial 72-run stand for the second wicket, which set the platform for PBKS’ win.

Before that, PBKS openers Priyansh Arya (23) and Prabhsimran had no qualms in scoring at nine runs per over. Prabhsimran had a narrow escape while attempting a reverse sweep off Jadeja, as the ball crashed into his pads in front of the wickets.

But the on-field umpire’s call of not out stayed even as CSK sought DRS intervention.

The PBKS opener, otherwise, displayed his array of strokes which had a mix of scoop, reverse sweeps and powerful hits down the ground for his 54.

But it was Iyer who towered over the others, rotating the strike with ease while getting the big boundaries to constantly ward off the pressure which CSK tried to build towards the end with wickets and dot balls.

Taking 20 runs off Matheesha Pathirana’s 17th over, which included two sixes and a four from Iyer’s bat, shut the doors completely on CSK but a few late wickets only delayed the inevitable.

Earlier, Curran braved testing conditions to produce an imperious fifty but a late four-wicket burst from Chahal, including a hat-trick, kept the Super Kings to a total that was a tad below par.

Curran hit the first fifty of the season (88 off 47 balls, 9×4, 4×6) as he anchored the recovery process of his side from a precarious 48 for three in the power play.

With their backs against the wall, Curran teamed up with Dewald Brevis (32) to carefully plot CSK’s way back into the contest with a robust 78-run fourth-wicket stand.

Until the 16th over, CSK coasted well at nearly nine runs an over when the England all-rounder picked Suryansh Shedge to attack.

The first two balls were struck for sixes over long-off and deep square leg, and on the third legitimate delivery it took a fine diving effort from Shreyas to save a certain third six in the over.

But Curran wasn’t done yet as he pierced gaps on the next two deliveries to get as many boundaries, eventually collecting 26 off the PBKS novice.

Curran’s onslaught forced PBKS’ strike bowler Arshdeep Singh to resort to wide full tosses, which resulted in a tidy over for four runs but for which he had to bowl eight deliveries as two were wides.

Curran eventually fell in the 18th over, getting an edge while attempting to duck under a Marco Jansen bouncer, but not before producing a knock of spunk and substance.

Chahal, who was wicketless until the penultimate over, was hit for a six by MS Dhoni (11) but the bowler had him caught at long off on the second delivery.

On the fourth, Deepak Hooda (2) played one meekly towards backward point while on the fifth, impact substitute Anshul Kamboj (0) was cleaned up.

Noor Ahmad (0) tried to put one away but ended up miscuing his shot and Jansen came in from long-on to complete the hat-trick, which was the leg-spinner’s second in the IPL.

In that phase, CSK lost six wickets for a mere five runs which in the end calculations had a decisive effect.