 "Pakistan cricketer slams Surya, Indian team over Asia Cup handshake saga: 'You had chance when 6-0 happened'")
 "Handshake Row: India didn’t do anything out of ordinary, athletes have often registered protests like this")
IPL 2021, Live Cricket Score, Punjab Kings (PBKS) vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK): Good contest that between Moeen and Shami. Shami bowls a bouncer first up and it whizzes past Moeen’s gloves. Shami drops it short again the next ball but this time, Moeen gets in position early and pulls it over mid-wicket. After a defence, Moeen flicks a full delivery through mid-wicket for a couple. Shami then comes up with a yorker on middle and Moeen digs it out safely. Shami overpitches the last one and Moeen drives it through extra cover. 10 runs off the over. Preview: Punjab Kings provided plenty of entertainment in IPL 2020, and there was no dearth of thrill in their 2021 season opener. Opening the campaign against Rajasthan Royals, PBKS batted first and posted an imposing total of 221 with skipper KL Rahul playing a blistering knock of 91 off 50 and Deepak Hooda setting the stage on fire with a 28-ball 64 innings. After some batting extraordinaire, PBKS were pretty ordinary with their fielding and bowling as Sanju Samson struck a brilliant century to take RR close to the victory only for Arshdeep Singh to deny him by successfully defending 13 runs in the last over. Against Chennai Super Kings, Rahul and Co will hope for a lesser entertaining and more commanding performance. The Wankhede Stadium had been a batting paradise but things were made difficult for PBKS by their overseas pacers — Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith — who were guilty of bowling too many loose deliveries. PBKS need to improve their bowling and fielding to compliment a batting line-up that is good enough to beat any team. On the other hand, Chennai Super Kings lost their first match against Delhi Capitals by seven wickets. CSK did well batting first as they posted a total of 188 with the comeback man Suresh Raina scoring a breezy fifty. But their bowling lacked the punch as DC easily chased down the target inside 19 overs. CSK looked short of bowlers who could impose themselves on the opposition and their openers also failed to fire against DC. Some valuable runs from top-order could have helped CSK reached 200 on a batting-friendly Wankhede strip. On Friday, both teams will enter the field with different motivations. PBKS, who have never won the IPL, will want to stretch the winning run against CSK, one of the most successful sides in the history of the tournament and we are guaranteed great entertainment. Squads: Punjab Kings: KL Rahul(w/c), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Deepak Hooda, Nicholas Pooran, Shahrukh Khan, Jhye Richardson, Murugan Ashwin, Riley Meredith, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Moises Henriques, Mandeep Singh, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Jalaj Saxena, Sarfaraz Khan, Fabian Allen, Saurabh Kumar, Ishan Porel, Ravi Bishnoi, Utkarsh Singh, Darshan Nalkande, Prabhsimran Singh, Harpreet Brar Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Robin Uthappa, Cheteshwar Pujara, Karn Sharma, Imran Tahir, Krishnappa Gowtham, Mitchell Santner, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Hari Nishanth, N Jagadeesan, KM Asif, Harishankar Reddy, Bhagath Varma
Highlights, PBKS vs CSK, IPL 2021, Match 8, Full cricket score: Chennai win by six wickets
Live Cricket Score, Punjab Kings (PBKS) vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK): Follow over-by-over commentary on our blog.
)
CSK off the mark on the points table
A brilliant win for CSK. It was a tricky pitch and CSK’s bowlers set the match up by restricting PBKS to 106/8. Deepak Chahar set the tone with four wickets through brilliant seam and swing bowling. And then the rest of the bowlers chipped in with wickets to maintain the pressure.
CSK struggled early on in the chase but Moeen and du Plessis released the pressure with some fabulous stroke play. They did lose a couple of wickets at the end but the job was done by then.
After 15 overs,Chennai Super Kings 102/4 ( Faf du Plessis 35 , Sam Curran 1)
That short ball strategy worked in that over from Shami. He darted the first one short and Raina miscued his pull in no man’s land. Shami had his man off the next ball though with another short one. He then made it 2 in 2 with the wicket of Rayudu, who for some unfathomable reasons, went for a wild shot off the first ball. The hat-trick ball was full on off, Du Plessis calmly drove it to long on for a single. Another two singles off the last two balls made it 5 runs and two wickets off it. CSK need just 5 off 30 balls now.
OUT! That short ball works against Raina.
Bouncer from Shami outside off, Raina is late onto it, is uncomfortable as he looks to pull. Ends up getting an edge to the keeper.
After 14 overs,Chennai Super Kings 97/2 ( Faf du Plessis 33 , Suresh Raina 6)
Raina in and straightaway the short ball strategy coming into play. The first one is too short from Meredith and is called a wide. Raina ducks under the next ball. He then backs away and looks to pull another short one but misses. He mistimes his pull off the next ball off a slower bouncer. He backs away the next, Meredith follows him with a back of a length ball, Raina somehow manages to pull it half-heartedly through square leg for a single. The last ball is again a bouncer to Faf du Plessis, he goes for a pull but misses. There is an appeal for a caught behind but the umpire says no. The umpire checks for one short ball too many and the third umpire says it’s a fair delivery. There is confusion as the umpire raises his finger. But then PBKS opt to review and the replays show there was no bat or glove involved. Another short delivery follows and du Plessis pulls it straight to mid-wicket. Just 2 off the over.
After 13 overs,Chennai Super Kings 96/2 ( Faf du Plessis 33 , Suresh Raina 5)
A mixed over for PBKS. 11 runs and a wicket off it. M Ashwin has struggled to get his lengths right. He’s been short or too full. He was thumped for a six off the first ball but then bounced back to send back Moeen. However, Raina thumped a full ball straight back for four and then ended the over with a single off a short ball to deep cover. Just 12 needed now off 42 balls.
After 12 overs,Chennai Super Kings 84/1 ( Faf du Plessis 33 , Moeen Ali 40)
Another good over for CSK. They are in cruise control now. Four over throws and a nicely placed drive brought them 8 runs and then a couple of singles to end the over made it 10 off the over.
After 10 overs,Chennai Super Kings 64/1 ( Faf du Plessis 24 , Moeen Ali 29)
Good contest that between Moeen and Shami. Shami bowls a bouncer first up and it whizzes past Moeen’s gloves. Shami drops it short again the next ball but this time, Moeen gets in position early and pulls it over mid-wicket. After a defence, Moeen flicks a full delivery through mid-wicket for a couple. Shami then comes up with a yorker on middle and Moeen digs it out safely. Shami overpitches the last one and Moeen drives it through extra cover. 10 runs off the over.
10-overs comparison:
PBKS: 48/5
CSK: 64/1
After 10 overs,Chennai Super Kings 64/1 ( Faf du Plessis 24 , Moeen Ali 29)
The pressure is getting released. M Ashwin didn’t get his lines and lengths right in the over. He dropped them short and wide. Du Plessis hit them for a four and a couple of twos and there was a wide down the leg side as well. A single off the last ball made it 11 runs off the over.
After 9 overs,Chennai Super Kings 53/1 ( Faf du Plessis 19 , Moeen Ali 24)
A good comeback from Meredith after being hit for four off the first ball. How bowled in the 140s and 120s and mixed them well. Varied his lengths well too. Just two singles after the four off the first ball. 6 runs off the over.
After 8 overs,Chennai Super Kings 47/1 ( Faf du Plessis 18 , Moeen Ali 19)
A mixed over for Ashwin. He bowled it a bit quicker, in the late 80s and early 90s. And mixed the spin well. Drew an outside edge off Moeen for a streaky four. A well place couple of twos from Moeen and Du Plessis respectively made it 10 runs off the over.
After 7 overs,Chennai Super Kings 37/1 ( Faf du Plessis 15 , Moeen Ali 12)
Arshdeep had conceded just one run off the first five deliveries but then he dropped one short outside off, and Moeen pounced on it for a four. Still, a disciplined over from Arshdeep. He concentrated on bowling those cutters. On good length and back of a length. 5 runs off the over.
After 6 overs,Chennai Super Kings 32/1 ( Faf du Plessis 14 , Moeen Ali 8)
A very good contest between Meridith and Moeen in the over. The Australian pacer ramped up over 140ks per hour. And varied his lengths. However, Moeen was brilliant with his placement and dispatched a couple of full deliveries to the fence. 8 runs off the over, the rest four were dot deliveries.