Sikandar Raza scored the winning runs off the final ball as Punjab Kings beat Chennai Super Kings by four wickets in a thrilling Indian Premier League contest.
Devon Conway's highest IPL score of 92 off 52 balls took CSK up to 200-4 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday, but the in-form batter's brilliant knock was in vain.
Prabhsimran Singh (42 off 24), Liam Livingstone (40 from 24) and Sam Curran (29 off 20) kept Punjab in the hunt to pull off the highest successful run chase against Chennai in their own backyard.
Needing 12 to win off the final over from Matheesha Pathirana, Raza hoisted the final delivery towards the square-leg boundary and scampered through for the three runs that were required for victory.
Conway put on 86 for the first wicket with Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was stumped for 37, giving Raza the charge in the 10th over.
Shivam Dube made a brisk 28 before he was sent on his way by Arshdeep Singh and Moeen Ali fell cheaply, but Punjab were unable to see the back of Conway.
He struck a six and found the rope 16 times in another masterful knock, falling just short of a century and watching on at the other end as MS Dhoni struck Sam Curran for back-to-back sixes to end the innings in style.
Prabhsimran and Shikhar Dhawan got the run chase off to a flying start, putting on 50 before the captain became the first of Tushar Deshpande's (3-49) victims.
Ravindra Jadeja (2-32) made it advantage CSK by removing Prabhsimran and Atharva Taid, but England duo Livingstone and Curran kept the game in the balance.
They put on 57 before Livingstone was caught in the deep off the bowling of Deshpande and Pathirana struck another blow by cleaning Curran up.
Jitesh Sharma fell for 21 in the penultimate over, but Raza ensured Punjab moved just behind CSK in fifth place with their fifth win of the season.
Conway shows the way for CSK
New Zealand opener Conway has been a revelation for CSK at the top of the order, this being his fifth half-century in six knocks.
The left-hander needed just 31 balls to reach his latest fifty, taking his tally of runs for the tournament to 414.
Only Faf du Plessis (422) has more runs in the 2023 IPL than Conway, who averages 59.14 at a strike rate of 144.25.
Livingstone looking ominous
Punjab had to start the tournament without Livingstone as he recovered from injury, but he certainly appears to have his eye in again.
The all-rounder gave a demonstration of his power and timing, clearing the rope four times in a crucial knock to keep the target within reach.
Knight Riders dispatch Super Giants to move top of IPL
Kolkata Knight Riders moved to the top of the Indian Premier League courtesy of a 98-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants.
Sunil Narine hit a sensational 81 from 39 balls, and he was ably supported by Ramandeep Singh's 25 from six deliveries, as KKR reeled off a third straight win on Sunday.
Ramandeep enjoyed a great day in the field too, as he took one of the catches of the season as LSG managed just 137 in response to KKR's 235.
Phil Salt struck 32, but it was fellow opener Narine who did the damage for KKR.
Ravi Bishnoi eventually ended his stand, but only when KKR had reached 140. Angkrish Raghuvanshi (32) had to be substituted out, but Shreyas Iyer added a useful 23 before Ramandeep hammered 25 from just an overs' worth of deliveries.
KL Rahul (25) and Marcus Stoinis (36) tried to get Lucknow going either side of Ramandeep's spectacular catch to dismiss Arshin Kulkarni, but the Super Giants never set the pace to truly trouble Kolkata.
Sunil Narine's plunders 81 to propel Kolkata Knight Riders to emphatic victory over Pooran's Lucknow Super Giants
In a sensational display of power hitting, Sunil Narine spearheaded Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a commanding victory over Nicholas Pooran's Lucknow Super Giants and a place atop of the IPL table with a stunning knock of 81 runs off just 39 deliveries.
Alongside Narine, contributions from Ramandeep Singh (25 off 6 balls), Phil Salt (32), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (32), and Shreyas Iyer ensured that KKR posted an imposing total of 235 for 6 in their allotted 20 overs.
The match, held at one of the lower-scoring venues in IPL 2024, set the stage for a challenging run chase for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Despite a 50-run partnership between KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis, LSG struggled to accelerate the scoring rate, ultimately succumbing to the pressure imposed by KKR's bowlers.
Andre Russell emerged as a pivotal figure in the match, not only with his powerful batting but also with his crucial contributions with the ball. Russell's bowling spell saw him claim the crucial wickets of Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran, swinging the match heavily in KKR's favor.
As LSG's innings faltered, the required run rate soared out of control, with the last nine wickets falling for just 67 runs. Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana were instrumental in dismantling LSG's batting lineup, each claiming three wickets.
Narine's explosive batting display in the initial overs set the tone for KKR's commanding total. After Salt's aggressive start, Narine took centre stage, unleashing a barrage of boundaries and sixes. His innings featured a total of seven sixes and six fours, demonstrating his ability to accelerate the scoring rate at will.
Despite eventually being dismissed while attempting another big hit, Narine's contribution laid the foundation for KKR's comprehensive victory. The match also witnessed standout performances from Ramandeep Singh, whose quick-fire innings added crucial runs to KKR's total, putting LSG under immense pressure.
With this convincing win, Kolkata Knight Riders continue to demonstrate their formidable form in IPL 2024, buoyed by standout performances from key players like Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, signaling their intent as serious contenders in the tournament.
IPL: Jadeja stars as CSK move into playoff places
Chennai Super Kings moved into the Indian Premier League playoff places after beating Punjab Kings by 28 runs in Dharamshala.
The reigning champions avenged their seven-wicket defeat by the Kings in Chennai four days earlier to climb to third place in the table with three games remaining.
After a slow start, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Daryl Mitchell's partnership brought 57 runs and settled CSK into their stride. Although MS Dhoni went for a duck, Ravindra Jadeja's late surge of 43 from 26 balls saw them close at 167-9.
Tushar Deshpande claimed Jonny Bairstow and Rilee Rossouw in the second over to stem the Kings' early momentum, while Jadeja (3-20) also took a quickfire double of Sam Curran and Ashutosh Sharma in the 13th over as the hosts finished well short of their target at 139-9.
Data debrief
In getting back to winning ways, CSK ended their five-game losing streak against the Kings, stretching back to 2021.
Despite going for a duck, Dhoni managed to make amends in the field. When he caught out Jitesh Sharma, he became the first player in IPL history to take 150 catches.
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