Billings, Watson to the fore, CSK win thriller against KKR by 5 wickets

CSK won the toss and decided to field first against Kolkata Knight Riders in match five of eleventh edition of IPL at Chennai.

Live Scorecard, CSK vs KKR, Chennai 

Jadeja wins it for CSK, deposits the ball way into the stands for a huge six, another famous win for the Super Kings. 17 runs were needed in the last over and CSK have got home with one ball to spare. Last time it was Jadhav and today it's Jadeja with the last-over six. What an advertisement of cricket. The Chidambaram stadium has gone berserk. 

The chase was set up by a superb opening knock by Shane Watson (42 off 19) and then came the innings to remember from Sam Billings, who took all the pressure off Dhoni with his 56 off 23 balls

CSK need 17 runs off the last over. Who'll bowl it? it has to Kuldeep Yadav.

Curran removes Billings

Don't hit Curran for a six, he'll comeback to get you out in the next delivery. What a time to get a wicket, puts an end to an aboslute masterclass from Sam Billings. The line and lenghth was the key here. Puts it outside the off stump, Billings had to reach out for it and he failed to connect it. Guess who's the catcher? It's Uthappa, who dropped him earlier.

Take a bow Sam Billings

That's his fifty! Terrific stuff from Billings. Successive sixes off Russell to put CSK on the drivers' seat. That is aboslute brilliant, he used the depth of the creaze and some out of the box thinking to ramp it over fine leg for a maximum and then hit another one straight over the bowler's head for a six. 

Chawla removes Dhoni

Edged and Karthik holds on to a fantastic catch to see the back of Dhoni. A huge wicket for KKR under the circumstances. Quick again, outside off, Dhoni gets low to swing across the line. Gets a bottom edge and Karthik behind the stumps takes a superb catch. The umpire checks for the front foot no ball, but the leggie is fine. 48 runs needed to win in 21 balls.

Dhoni finally finds his touch

But is it a bit too late? A drilling boundary straight down the ground followed by huge six over mid-wicket off Kuldeep. 10 runs off 2 balls has taken Dhoni's strike rate to 100 but when the required rate is close to 13 is it acceptable? Only time will tell.

Narine gets Raina

Brilliant period of play for KKR. Raina was struggling with the hamstring but full marks to Narine for keep asking questions and Raina finally gave in, went for wild heave over mid-wicket but his stifled footwork did not allow him the elavation, Vinay Kumar at mid-wicket takes a simple catch. 

Rayudu is out

Kuldeep strikes in his first over and there is pin drop silence around the stadium. All those tight overs have paid dividends here. Another set batsman is out of here. Kuldeep tosses this one up outside off, Rayudu once again tries to go inside out over covers. There however is a man in the deep, a substitute. He comes running in and takes it comfortable. Chennai now find them self in a little trouble. 118 in 69 needed.

Curran strikes

Phew! The carnige comes to an end. Watson finds the deep mid-wicket fielder and the debutant Tom Curran has the last laugh. It was there to be hit, Watson connected it well too but it went straight to the deep mid-wicket fielder. A 19-ball 42 from Watson. KKR badly needed that. But CSK have reached 75 for 1 at the end of powerplay.

CSK get to 50 in 3.4 overs

Now Rayudu joins the action. Hits Chawla for couple of sixes and a four. CSK have brought up their fifty in 3.4 overs. Rayudu 24 off 11 and Watson 29 off 12.

Watson takes CSK off to a flier

2 fours, 2 sixes, 28 not out off 10 balls - Shane Watson has taken the bull by its horns. What a start for CSK to the 203-run chase. Pace, spin, both goes the distance, early problems for Karthik. Whatever it is, action is guranteed, fasten your seatbelts, this is going to be one hell of a powerplay if Watson stays there.

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Another six, what a finish for KKR. They have ended up with 202 for 6. Andre Russell, take a bow, an unbeaten 88 off just 36 balls, including 11 sixes. That score is gonna need some beating

Andre Russell's 105m six to Dwayne Bravo. #IPL2018 #CSKvKKR pic.twitter.com/ktdm8lIWpK

— Peshwa Bajirao (@PeshwaBajirao7) April 10, 2018

Russell takes 21 off Bravo

Hat-trick of sixes, Russell is taking Bravo apart. Outstanding hitting from the big man. Can he get to a hundred now? 

Watson removes Karthik

Umpire Anil Chaudhary raises his finger slowly and Karthik will surely go for the review, yes he does. That looked quite close. Umpire's call, Karthik has to go. A terrific yorker from Watson, breaks the 76-run stand. Excellent, excellent delivery from the Aussie veteran. He comes running in and spears in an inswinging yorker on middle. It keeps tailing down and catches Karthik low on the back pad.

Fifty for Russell

Boy what an innings it has been. Three sixes off his last four balls. Andre Russell gets to his half-century in 26 balls. KKR is in for a big finish.

Russell accelerates

One over long-off, the next over long-on, Russell is ready to launch. Two clean strikes from the big West Indian. Shardul Tahkur was off his mark on both occasions. With four overs to go, Karthik and Russell are setting up for something big here. Chennai needs to act fast.

Terrific run out by champ @ImRaina❤❤👍👍👌👌🤘🤘 @ChennaiIPL @harbhajan_singh @ShaneRWatson33 @msdhoni.. #CskVsKkr pic.twitter.com/xWp0QDAPvu

— ChocoMax (@Raina3_max) April 10, 2018

Flurry of wickets

Another one goes, Rinku Singh bites the dust. A nothing shot really, tries to play in it on the up, doesn't get in the middle and the ball scoops up to DJ Bravo at point, who times his jump to perfection to snatch the catch. Thakur strikes, KKR have lost their way. 

Body blow to KKR

You simply don't run when the ball is within Raina's reach but it seems the roar freazed KKR captain Karthik, who kept on running without paying any heed to the striker Uthappa. Brilliant work from Raina though, gets to the ball quickly, and shoots down the stumps with Uthappa (29) miles away from the creaze. That's a body blow to the visitors.

 

Watson comes back with Rana wicket

The experienced Watson comes back strongly after being taken for 13 in his first over. Nitish Rana (16) won't be proud of that shot for sure. Got himself into tangle there, the ball did not bounce as much as he expected it to and ended up getting a an inside edge that lobbed up in the air after hitting his pads. Dhoni takes a simple catch. KRR: 80/3

Uthappa fires

WOW! Gigantic sixes from Uthappa. Try and get that back into the field, Uthappa has deposited Jadeja into the empty stands twice. 16 runs off the over despite the Lynn wicket in it. KKR have raced to 64 for 2 at the end of the powerplay.

BOWLED

Staright through, look at the sea of yellow errupt. Jadeja has broken the threatening partnership. Chris Lynn is gone for 22. Committed a bit too early there Lynn and that was enough for Jadeja to hold the length back and sneak it under the swatting bat of Lynn. 

Watson conceedes three boundaries

KKR are off to a flier here. Nothing going right for Shane Watson, he tried the outside off stump strategy to Chris Lynn, was clubbed past covers, over compensated to Uthappa and was flicked around long leg for another four. Uthappa further rubbed salt into the wounds with a delicate dab down thirdman to take 13 off the over. KKR: 33/1 after 3

Harbhajan strikes

That's why Harbhajan was introduced. A flighted loopy off-spinner, Narine was always going to go after it but this time he gets a top edge. Raina settles in nicely under it and grabs the catch. Chennai errupts, they have got the first wicket and it's that of the danger man Narine for 12. KKR: 19/1

There goes Narine

It's become a regular affair hasn't it? Narine opens the batting, hits the new-ball bowler over the ropes. Well there's minor difference this time, he has done it twice. Young Deepak Chahar was on the money with his first one to Narine but he was off his length in the next two, prompting the West Indian to rock back and deposit both of them deep into the stands. 18 off the first over. 

CSK XI: S Watson, A Rayudu, S Raina, S Billings, MS Dhoni, R Jadeja, DJ Bravo, D Chahar, H Singh, S Thakur, I Tahir

KKR XI: S Narine, C Lynn, R Uthappa, N Rana, D Karthik, R Singh, A Russell, V Kumar, P Chawla, T Curran, K Yadav

Team News: KKR have swapped Mitchell Johnson with Tom Curran, while CSK have brought Shardul Thakur in place of Mark Wood and Kedar Jadhav has made way for Sam Billings.

Toss: Chennai Super Kings won the toss and opted to field first against Kolkata Knight Riders

Whistles galore as captain @msdhoni wins the toss and elects to bowl first at the Chepauk Stadium#CSKvKKR #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/WKTzEA15z2

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 10, 2018

Toss dealyed: It's 7.35 PM (IST) but the toss is yet to take place even though both the captains are up and ready. It seems there has been a logistical issue.

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the match five of the eleventh edition of IPL between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders at the M A Chidambaram Stadium. 

The Preview

Lot of talk about the off the field troubles surrounding CSK’s homecoming but all seems to have settled as of now and setting us up for mouth watering contest between the Kolkata Knight Rides and Chennai Super Kings.

Seldom happens that the battle within battle overpowers the big picture and this is one of those occasions. The CSK vs KKR match is being portrayed as the head-to-head duel between the two captains and more importantly two India wicket-keepers MS Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik.

Karthik’s recent credentials have made him the no. 1 contender as the Dhoni’s replacement in the Indian side and this is the first time that these two will go against each other in an IPL encounter.

Both sides are coming off a win in their opening match, albeit the different kind. Kinght Riders coasted to a four-wicket win whereas, CSK huffed and puffed to a last over-win against the defending champions, courtesy late hitting from Dwayne Bravo and Kedar Jadhav.

A lot has changed since CSK’s improbable last over win, with two of their key players – Kedar Jadhav and Faf du Plessis suffering injuries. While du Plessis is expected to be fit for the next game, which is in a week’s time, Jadhav has been ruled out of the entire tournament.

Keeping everything aside, the yellow army is sure to be one of the major factors deciding the outcome of the match.