CSK vs SRH

Three spots taken, one still remains up for grabs. RCB, GT, SRH and ? One of those teams who are in there with a major stake is RR who will be hosting LSG tomorrow in Jaipur for two crucial points. Make sure you join us for that, for now this is Sourabh Agrawal signing off on behalf of Pradeep and everyone else in the team. Cheers!

Ishan Kishan is the Player of the Match for his match winning knock of 70 runs, this is what he had to say: When I was wicketkeeping, I felt that the wicket was not easy. Still felt that this target was going to be a bit too much as the ball was stopping, gripping for the spinners but at the same time as a number 3 my job is to finish the game for the side. Wasn't easy for the new batters to come in and take the singles. I was just trying to keep it simple, it was very important for me being a left-hander in the middle and I wanted to take it till the end. (partnership with Klaasen) There was no conversation, I feel that it is about motivation and for me tonight the motivation for me today was my cousin who is standing there, he has lost his sister and it has been a tough time for the family. They are watching the match for the first time and I wanted to finish it for them. I felt blessed from upstairs, I had that sense of power

Pat Cummins (SRH captain): Really satisfied. BIt different to how we play. Really different to how we play but the way the guys, Klassy (Klassen) and Kishan batted was really gutsy. Just needed one or two partnerships, they chose their matchups and played some ridculous shots. Wouldn't say we are famous for responsible batting but when we were bowling the cutters were holding on to the surface and we knew it was about one or two partnerships. (was 180 enough?) 180 was just about par or a bit more. (securing playoffs spot) Can't give ourselves a better chance, one game to go and we can see whether we could secure a top-2 spot but the real stuff starts now. Lots of credit to Ishan, captain for the half of the season. There are a few days where we could have assessed the conditions quicker but overall very happy

Heinrich Klaasen [Sunrisers Hyderabad]: [On SRH’s successful chase at Chepauk]“It was definitely a challenging chase. Coming to Chennai and chasing a score on a surface like this is never straightforward, so I’m really pleased with the way the team handled the situation. It was a brilliant performance overall, and now we’ve got one more important group-stage game left.”[On his aggressive batting approach]“After blocking a couple of deliveries early on, I realised I couldn’t afford to play passively on this wicket. I decided to back my aggressive game and fortunately it worked out well tonight. I’m really happy with the way I’m striking the ball at the moment and hopefully I can carry this momentum through the rest of the tournament.”[On Ishan Kishan’s supporting role during the partnership]“One of the biggest strengths of our batting unit this season has been the understanding between players. When one batter is in full flow, the other is happy to put his ego aside, keep the scoreboard moving, and wait for his moment. Ishan did that brilliantly tonight, and that kind of teamwork has been a major reason behind our success with the bat.”[On the nature of the Chepauk pitch]“It wasn’t an easy wicket to bat on. When we were bowling, the cutters were gripping and staying low, but during the chase the ball skidded on a little better. There was still some uneven bounce though. Overall, I’d say it’s one of the better Chennai wickets I’ve played on, but it remains a difficult venue for visiting teams.”[On SRH qualifying for the playoffs]“Qualifying for the playoffs is a big moment for the team, but there’s still a lot to play for. If we win our final league game, we could still finish in the top two, which is a massive advantage heading into the playoffs. Playing that game in front of our home crowd will make it even more special, and hopefully the Orange Army turns up in huge numbers once again.”

Ruturaj Gaikwad [Chennai Super Kings captain]: [On CSK’s narrow defeat]“It was a very tight game right till the end, and I thought overall it was a really good contest. The pitch stayed fairly consistent throughout the match, and I felt 180 was around a par score on that surface. We stayed in the game until the second-last over, which was pleasing, even though we ultimately fell short. Still, I’m proud of the effort the boys put in.”[On areas where CSK could have improved]“I don’t think there was one major area where we were far behind. The key moments came immediately after taking wickets — that’s when you want to build pressure and really squeeze the opposition, and we weren’t able to do that consistently enough. But considering the limited squad available and the combinations we had to work with, I still believe the team performed really well.”[On building for the future]“There are definitely plenty of positives to take forward. Sanju’s addition has been fantastic for us and he’s been in excellent form. Karthik Sharma also played another impressive innings today. We did miss a few key players through the season, and naturally replacing those players isn’t always straightforward, but the group showed a lot of character throughout.”[On the support from CSK fans]“Our fans continue to support us through every situation, whether we win or lose, and that means a lot to the team. Even after a few difficult games at home, the support never faded. Compared to last season, I still feel we’ve improved in many areas, and hopefully we’ll come back even stronger next year.”

11:35 PM local time and IST: MATCH SUMMARY

Sunrisers Hyderabad (181/5 in 19 overs) beat Chennai Super Kings (180/7 in 20 overs) by 5 wickets

Ishan Kishan 70(47) | Pat Cummins 3/28(4)
Dewald Brevis 44(27) | Mukesh Chaudhary 2/36(4)

We have teams number 2 and 3 for the playoffs, celebrations in the Orange camp and in equal measure somewhere away in Gujarat as SRH stun the 5-time champs CSK at the Chepauk and book playoff tickets for themselves as well as the Gujarat Titans, just the one spot remains up for grabs now and we still have 5 teams in contention that will fight tooth and nail for the last seat

As soon as the winning shot was hit, you could sense a collective gasp from thousands in yellow. CSK will now have to depend on the other results for their fate, the maximum they can get from here is 14 points if they win their last game against GT later on in the week and that still might not be enough, you never know

All said and done, that was as clinical as a chase can get on a slow grippy Chepauk pitch. 180 was not a low total on this deck but the cricket smarts displayed by the SRH batters, the ones who are known for sticking to their gungho approach, no matter what was commendable. The 75-run partnership for the third wicket between Ishan Kishan (70) and Heinrich Klaasen (47) was one to savor, both Kishan and Klaasen went against their natural grain and play to the demands of the situation and they did it quite perfectly

SRH lost Head early, then Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan buckled down as SRH scored just 45/1 in the powerplay. Abhishek Sharma did fall in the 8th over to Akeal Hosein and then the asking rate was going north, it went over 10 but Klaasen's assault on CSK's spin twins just flipped the script just when it looked like the home side were moving towards the much needed two points

Both Noor and Hosein were hit off their lengths on a tough pitch by Klaasen and then pace came back which was dealt with by Kishan and both of them formed a perfect pair. Neither was able to stay till the end but did more than enough to ensure the rest pick up the slack and got SRH home

18.6 Anshul Kamboj to Smaran R, FOUR! THAT'S IT! SRH make their way into the playoffs, they take GT along with them. With that, the campaign is almost over for CSK. Back of a length outside the off-stump. Smaran slashes it over backward point and seals the game.

Ishan Kishan departs but he would like to believe that he has done the job here. A 70 off the highest order from the southpaw, is there a twist in the tale still?

18.3 Anshul Kamboj to Ishan Kishan, OUT! SLICES IT TO LONG-OFF AND GONE! Kishan went for the glory shot and perishes. An excellent innings in the context of the game. Length delivery outside the off-stump, Kishan throws his bat, bottom hand comes off, hits it straight to Urvil.