Sometimes when it rains, it pours. Chennai Super Kings once took pride in making the MAC Stadium a fortress. Opponents had struggled for years to breach the hallowed turf.
However, 2025 has been an annus horribilis for Super Kings. Royal Challengers Bengaluru won a game here after 17 years, while Delhi Capitals (formerly Delhi Daredevils) won here for the first time after 2010. On Friday, it was the turn of Sunrisers Hyderabad to taste its first-ever victory against CSK in Chennai, when it beat the five-time champion by five wickets and effectively ended the home team’s IPL campaign.
Chasing 155, Sunrisers were made to work hard, but Ishan Kishan’s well-composed 44 at the top and Kamindu Mendis’ cameo (32 n.o.) towards the end helped Pat Cummins’ men get their third win of the season.
Despite defending a modest total, Super Kings had their moments after Anshul Kamboj and Khaleel Ahmed ensured SRH only managed 37 for two in the PowerPlay.
And when Ravindra Jadeja had Heinrich Klaasen, there was a hope that CSK had a chance to pull off a miracle.
However, M.S. Dhoni’s surprising decision to trust Sam Curran for two overs proved costly as the seamer conceded 25 runs, which swung the momentum towards the visitor. On a tricky pitch, Kishan took calculated risks, punishing Curran and Noor when they erred.
Mendis, along with Nitish Kumar, added 49 for the unbroken sixth-wicket partnership to guide Sunrisers home.
Earlier, the Chennai outfit squandered a good start and was bowled out for 154. The Men in Yellow managed 50 in the PowerPlay and more than doubled the score in the next six overs.
However, Harshal Patel (4-0-28-4) produced a fine bowling effort through his judicious use of slow cutters to derail the host’s innings.
Dewald Brevis (42), on his CSK debut, broke free in the 12th over when he launched Mendis for three sixes, helping his side get past 100. But once Harshal dismissed the South African batter, thanks to a blinder by Mendis on the long-off boundary, CSK crumbled, losing the next five wickets for 40 runs and the total proved inadequate.
SCOREBOARD
CHENNAI SUPER KINGS
Shaik Rasheed c Abhishek b Shami 0 (1b), Ayush Mhatre c Kishan b Cummins 30 (19b, 6×4), Sam Curran c Aniket b Harshal 9 (10b, 1×4), Ravindra Jadeja b Mendis 21 (17b, 1×4, 1×6), Dewald Brevis c Mendia b Harshal 42 (25b, 1×4, 4×6), Shivam Dube c Abhishek b Unadkat 12 (9b, 2×4), Deepak Hooda c Abhishek b Unadkat 22 (21b, 1×4, 1×6), M.S. Dhoni c Abhishek b Harshal 6 (10b, 1×4), Anshul Kamboj (Impact Player for Dube) c Klaasen b Cummins 2 (4b), Noor Ahmad c Shami b Harshal 2 (3b), Khaleel Ahmed (not out) 1 (2b); Extras (lb-3, nb-2, w-2): 7; Total (in 19.5 overs): 154.
FALL OF WICKETS
1-0 (Rasheed, 0.1 overs), 2-39 (Curran, 4.3), 3-47 (Mhatre, 5.3), 4-74 (Jadeja, 9.3), 5-114 (Brevis, 12.5), 6-118 (Dube, 13.5), 7-131 (Dhoni, 16.3), 8-134 (Kamboj, 17.3), 9-137 (Noor, 18.1).
SUNRISERS BOWLING
Shami 3-0-28-1, Cummins 4-0-21-2, Unadkat 2.5-0-21-2, Harshal 4-0-28-4, Zeeshan 3-0-27-0, Mendis 3-0-26-1.
SUNRISERS HYDERABAD
Abhishek Sharma c Mhatre b Khaleel 0 (2b), Travis Head (Impact Player for Zeeshan) b Kamboj 19 (16b, 4×4), Ishan Kishan c Curran b Noor 44 (34b, 5×4, 1×6), Heinrich Klaasen c Hooda b Jadeja 7 (8b, 1×4), Aniket Verma c Hooda b Noor 19 (19b, 2×6), Kamindu Mendis (not out) 32 (22b, 3×4), Nitish Kumar (not out) 19 (13b, 2×4); Extras (lb-2, nb-2, w-11): 15; Total (for five wkts. in 18.4 overs): 155.
FALL OF WICKETS
1-0 (Abhishek, 0.2), 2-37 (Head, 5.3), 3-54 (Klaasen, 8.1), 4-90 (Kishan, 11.6), 5-106 (Aniket, 13.5).
SUPER KINGS BOWLING
Khaleel 3-0-21-1, Kamboj 3-0-16-1, Noor 4-0-42-2, Jadeja 3.4-0-22-1, Curran 2-0-25-0, Pathirana 3-0-27-0.
Toss: SRH.
PoM: Harshal.
SRH won by five wickets with eight balls to spare.
Published – April 25, 2025 07:41 pm IST