CSK vs KXIP Highlights and Match Recap, IPL 2019, Full Cricket Score: Rahul, Sarfaraz's fifty in vain as Super Kings secure 4th win

Most wins for CSK against an opponent in IPL:

15 v RCB
13 v DC, RR
12 v KXIP*
11 v KKR, MI

After 20 overs,Kings XI Punjab 138/5 ( Mandeep Singh 1 , Sam Curran 0)

That’s it!

CSK win by 22 runs!

Brilliant last few overs by CSK pacers. Kuggeleijn finishes things on a good note for CSK, giving just 3 away in the last over and taking the wicket of Sarfaraz. CSK go back on top of the points table with this win.

After 19 overs,Kings XI Punjab 135/4 ( Sarfaraz Khan 65 , )

Well, what a bad start from Chahar, two over-the-waist deliveries, one hit for a boundary. An angry Dhoni, calmly gives his two cents to Chahar as if almost asking ‘What are you doing, brother?’. Guess what the next two balls, right in the hole, perfect yorkers. He started off on bad note but learnt quickly and ended up with a wicket. Kings XI have missed the chance to take it more closer to the target. They now need 26 runs in 6 balls.

After 18 overs,Kings XI Punjab 122/3 ( Sarfaraz Khan 56 , David Miller 4)

Scott Kuggeleijn completes the 18th over. He is using the off-cutters pretty well. Just 2 off the first two balls. Did not give any pace on the bat, had Jadeja at deep mid-wicket for the miscued shot. The plan worked. Brilliant captaincy from Dhoni. Has fielders placed just at the right place. Miller has joined Sarfaraz in the middle. And he has smashed the odd full length delivery from Kuggeleijn for four. Dot to end the over. This is getting closer and closer. Punjab need 39 runs in 12 balls.

After 17 overs,Kings XI Punjab 115/2 ( Lokesh Rahul (W) 54 , Sarfaraz Khan 54)

Tahir ends his quota. Harbhajan and Jadeja finished too. So it will be all pace now from CSK. Three overs left. 46 to get. Dhoni gets his thinking cap on. This is the sort of situation he loves. It is now the exuberance of youth in Kings XI versus the mind of MS Dhoni.

After 16 overs,Kings XI Punjab 110/2 ( Lokesh Rahul (W) 51 , Sarfaraz Khan 52)

Harbhajan finishes off well. And in this over, Rahul has reached the fifty-run mark. 100-run stand has been achieved. Bhajji completes his quota. 17 runs in 4 overs with 2 wickets. Brilliant stuff from the veteran.Rahul has done a good job so far, occupying one crease right from the start but he needs to finish things off now. Punjab need 51 runs in 24 balls.

After 15 overs,Kings XI Punjab 105/2 ( Lokesh Rahul (W) 47 , Sarfaraz Khan 51)

Tahir is back on. Sarfaraz Khan has brought up his maiden fifty in IPL 2019. What a knock this is turning out to be. He has handled the pressure of coming in to bat early and at a crucial stage pretty well. The job is not done yet. And he would love to add stars to this innings by staying till the end and taking his side across the winning mark. Punjab need 56 runs in 30 balls.

After 14 overs,Kings XI Punjab 100/2 ( Lokesh Rahul (W) 44 , Sarfaraz Khan 49)

Harbhajan comes back into attack and how well has the old man bowled here. He has been terrific in this season so far and has provided breakthroughs for his side when required. No wonder Dhoni has again turned to him for some magic. 100 has come up for Kings XI. Safaraz and Rahul reaching the 100-run stand. 5 came off this over. Time for time-out.

Bails were really in the groove

Bails must be crazy! 🤥 #WhistlePodu #yellove #CSKvKXIP 🦁💛

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 6, 2019

After 13 overs,Kings XI Punjab 96/2 ( Lokesh Rahul (W) 42 , Sarfaraz Khan 47)

Bizarre incidents an IPL go hand-in-hand. Rahul tapped the ball on leg side and ran, Dhoni was quick to the ball and flicked it back without having a look back at the stumps. It hit the stumps and Rahul was still out of the crease, trying to get back. But the bails did not come off. To everyone’s surprise. And to Dhoni’s dismay.

Sarfraz Khan’s 30-plus scores in IPL:

till 2018 – 3 (18 innings)
2019 – 3 (4 innings)

After 12 overs,Kings XI Punjab 91/2 ( Lokesh Rahul (W) 39 , Sarfaraz Khan 45)

Kuggeleijn back into the attack. Safaraz shows his skills. First with a scoop over the keeper’s head to fetch four runs and then a textbook shot, a lofted drive over long-off for a maximum. Rahul and Sarfaraz taking it away from CSK pretty quickly.

After 11 overs,Kings XI Punjab 75/2 ( Lokesh Rahul (W) 38 , Sarfaraz Khan 31)

Tight over from Jadeja. Last few overs have been good for CSK. Run-scoring rate has dropped for sure. Not to forget, there is no Bravo here. We may see Kedar bowling a few overs here to quickly fill in some overs. 4 off the Jadeja over.

After 10 overs,Kings XI Punjab 71/2 ( Lokesh Rahul (W) 36 , Sarfaraz Khan 29)

Imran continues. He has looked the best of all the spinners in CSK’s ranks so far. Not giving any room whatsoever to the two batters. 4 off the over.

After 9 overs,Kings XI Punjab 67/2 ( Lokesh Rahul (W) 34 , Sarfaraz Khan 27)

Safaraz is playing really well and Rahul is looking in good touch. Fifty-run stand has come up between the two. Worries for Dhoni. He did not went up for the DRS in the last to last over. Not getting the calls right, wickets not coming easily now. 12 off the Jadeja over. We go into time-out.

After 8 overs,Chennai Super Kings 60/1 ( Faf du Plessis 31 , Suresh Raina 1)

Imran Tahir, right-arm leg break, into the attack and a huge appeal for LBW. Googly from Tahir, thudded the pads. Umpire refused. Tahir had a chat with Dhoni and he did not look too excited to take the DRS. The replay showed that the ball had hit the pad first and would have hit the stumps. Rare occasion when Dhoni failed to take the right DRS call.

After 7 overs,Kings XI Punjab 49/2 ( Lokesh Rahul (W) 27 , Sarfaraz Khan 16)

Ravindra Jadeja into the attack now, replaces Chahar. Slip in place. Good partnership has emerged between the two batsmen in the middle. Kings XI needed this sort of effort after the horrendous start in their chase. Tension on Dhoni’s face. 3 comes in this over.

After 6 overs,Kings XI Punjab 46/2 ( Lokesh Rahul (W) 26 , Sarfaraz Khan 14)

Scott Kuggeleijn, right-arm fast medium, brought into the attack in the sixth over. He was welcomed by Sarfaraz with a six. Not the kind of start a bowler looks forward to. 11 off the over. 46 in the powerplay.

After 5 overs,Kings XI Punjab 35/2 ( Lokesh Rahul (W) 23 , Sarfaraz Khan 6)

Chahar continues and a positive start from Rahul as he fetches four runs straight down the ground. Dhoni has set up a strong off-side field, inside the circle. But Rahul goes big on the leg side and then an error on Chahar’s part, fetches the batsman four more runs on behind the wickets.