Chennai Super Kings

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.

The Kings chased down an IPL-record of 262 with eight balls to spare to beat Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday, but they didn't need anywhere near that level of big hitting to clinch their first set of consecutive victories this year.  

Spinners Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar made it a far more comfortable outing for Punjab, finishing with two wickets apiece and giving up just 33 runs between them through eight overs.

Ruturaj Gaikwad did his best to keep CSK in it with his 62 off 48 balls, but they always looked unlikely to defend a middling score of 162, particularly when Deepak Chahar pulled up two deliveries into the Punjab innings and walked gingerly from the field.

Richard Gleeson dismissed Prabhsimran Singh for 13 on his IPL debut, but that was as good as it got for Chennai as Jonny Bairstow (46 off 30) and Rilee Rossouw (43 off 25) steadily ate away at their score.

The Super Kings' outing was summed up by Sam Curran's wayward drive spinning away from Shivam Dube at the boundary for a four late on, and Punjab wrapped up their most comfortable win of the season with 13 balls to spare.

Data Debrief: Kings maintain Chennai hoodoo

The Kings' upturn may have come a little too late to give them a genuine shot at the play-offs, but for Chennai, it was a case of more frustration against their bogey team. 

Punjab have now won their last five matches against the Super Kings, who have seen their title defence stall with a run of three defeats in four outings.  

The pair contributed to a sensational 210 runs between them for the opening wicket – the joint-highest opening stand in IPL history – as the Titans set CSK a daunting target of 232.

Gill was the first to reach his century in the 17th over, plundering 104 off 55 balls, but Sudharsan followed shortly after, hitting 103 off 51 before Tushar Deshpande got both out within the next five balls.

The Titans only added a further 41 runs to finish with 231-3 but stifled CSK when they stepped up to bat.

The Super Kings were 10 for three down inside the first two overs before Daryl Mitchell (63) and Moeen Ali (56) got them into their stride.

Mohit Sharma ensured the Titans ended strongly, finishing with figures of 3-31 to limit CSK to 196-8, leaving them with a tough task to reach the play-offs as they remain in fourth.

Data Debrief: GT history makers

Sudharsan, whose knock included five fours and seven maximums, and Gill, who helped himself to nine fours and six maximums, both scored their first centuries in the IPL this season.

Along the way, Gill and Sudharsan pushed the IPL century count past 100.

The Titans, after being put in to bat by the Super Kings, made an imposing 214-4 off their 20 overs.

Sai Sudharsan made an extremely composed 47-ball 96 for the Titans including eight fours and six sixes while Wriddhiman Saha made 54 off 39 balls earlier.

A prolonged rain-delay with CSK 4-0 after just three balls meant that, upon the return, they needed a revised target of 171 in 15 overs.

CSK’s formidable opening pair of Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad continued their excellent form this season, putting on 74 for the first wicket before Gaikwad went for a 16-ball 26. Conway, who top scored for the Super Kings went, soon after, for a 25-ball 47.

In the end, an unbeaten 22-run partnership between Shivam Dube (32*) and Ravindra Jadeja (15*) handed Chennai their fifth IPL title, putting them alongside the Mumbai Indians at the top of the pile.

The match came down to the last two deliveries, with Jadeja facing pacer Mohit Sharma needing 10 to win.

He hit the fifth ball of the final over for a straight six before clipping the final ball down to the fine leg boundary to secure the win.

Sharma tried his best with the ball, taking 3-36 from his three overs while Noor Ahmad took 2-17 from his three.

It was the end of an era on Thursday as the defending champions announced that Dhoni had decided to relinquish the captaincy.

The former India captain has led CSK from the start of the IPL in 2008, guiding the franchise to four titles and losing five finals.

Dhoni lifted the trophy in Dubai last year after his side beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 27 runs in the final.

The 40-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman steps down just two days before the Super Kings start the defence of their title against KKR at the Wankhede Stadium.

India all-rounder Jadeja has been charged with the task of replacing Dhoni, who will continue to play for the franchise this season and beyond, and knows he will be a hard act to follow.

Jadeja said: "I'm feeling good. At the same time, I also need to fill in big boots, [Dhoni] has already set the big legacy so I need to carry [that] forward.

"I don't need to worry too much because he is here so whenever I have a question to ask, I'll definitely go to him.

"He'll be my go-to person. He was and still he is today, so I'm not worried too much."

KKR would have moved above Kings XI Punjab into fourth place with a win in their penultimate match of the regular season in Dubai on Thursday, but they were beaten by bottom side Chennai.

Nitish Rana made a magnificent 87 off 61 balls to get KKR up to 172-5, spinner Jadeja taking 1-20 from three overs and Lungi Ngidi 2-34.

CSK were going along well with Ruturaj Gaikwad (72 from 53) and Ambati Rayudu (30) putting on 68 for the second wicket, but slipped to 140-4 after losing three wickets for 22 runs.

Pat Cummins (2-31) and Varun Chakravarthy (2-20) had KKR scenting victory, the Australia paceman having cleaned up Gaikwad and MS Dhoni falling for only one.

The Super Kings needed 30 off 12 two overs, but Lockie Ferguson conceded 20 off a nightmare 19th over and Jadeja (31 not out from 11) clattered the penultimate ball of the match from Kamlesh Nagarkoti for six before sending the last delivery beyond the ropes when just one was needed to win.

Back-to-back defeats have left KKR with their fate out of their hands ahead of a showdown with Rajasthan Royals on Sunday.

RANA RAISES THE TEMPO

KKR got bogged down in the middle of their innings as the Super Kings spinners gave little away after Karn Sharma uprooted Shubman Gill's leg stump.

They were 93-3 when Rinku Singh fell to the impressive Jadeja off the fifth ball of the 13th over, but Rana hung around to take them up to a competitive total.

KKR took 66 off the last five overs, Rana shifting through the gears after reaching his 50 off 44 balls and hitting four sixes in a quality knock, with Dinesh Karthik adding a brisk unbeaten 21.

LOCKIE LAPSES COST KKR

With the excellent Gaikwad still in the middle and 53 needed off six overs, it seemed to be advantage CSK but they could only take eight off the next two overs and Varun accounted for Dhoni.

Varun also dropped Sam Curran – who finished unbeaten on 13 – before he was off the mark, but it was the return of Ferguson that proved to be the most costly, the paceman bowling a wide and then a no-ball that cost three runs.

Jadeja added insult to injury by launching the resulting free hit for six and struck Ferguson's final ball to the boundary to leave KKR needing 10 off the last over.

Nagarkoti gave KKR hope by conceding three off four balls, but Jadeja was in the mood, hitting him over midwicket for six and blasting the last delivery over wide long-on to floor KKR.

Kolkata mustered 171-6 from their 20-over allocation and looked heavy favourites, with MS Dhoni's Super Kings needing 24 off the final 10 balls.

However, Jadeja (22) smashed 20 off Prasidh Krishna's final four balls in the penultimate over, with number 10 Deepak Chahar (one not out) then holding his nerve to hit the winning run off the final ball of the match.

Shardul Thakur and Josh Hazlewood took two wickets apiece, and Jadeja picked up 1-21, but Eoin Morgan's Knight Riders still posted a handy total, with Rahul Tripathi (45) and Nitish Rana (37) providing much of the impetus.

Dinesh Karthik played an important hand with a late 26 from just 11 deliveries, but that did not seem to matter as Chennai made a dashing start to their reply, openers Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad making 43 and 40 respectively.

Once they both fell, Sunil Narine and the Knight Riders attack began to make an impact with the ball as the Super Kings collapsed from 102-1 to 142-6, despite Moeen Ali making 32.

Yet Jadeja then came up with the late intervention that earned him man-of-the-match honours, launching two sixes before immediately adding a pair of fours in the 19th-over burst.

Jadeja fell to the penultimate ball of the contest in Abu Dhabi, pinned lbw by Narine, but Chahar came up with the single required to give Chennai the win.

Nervy Narine

Narine's first two overs were blasted for 25, but the off-spinner led the Knight Riders' recovery as he removed Ambati Rayudu, Sam Curran and Jadeja.

He kept his team in the match all the way to the final ball, after Super Kings' top three earlier piled on the runs, but Jadeja's big-hitting had made it too much of a tall order.

More needed from Morgan?

Morgan struggled for fluidity with the bat, and he may feel his slow scoring ultimately cost his side as they were pipped on the final ball.

The England captain failed to capitalise on Tripathi's top-order impetus as he limped to just eight off 14 balls before being removed by Hazlewood in the ninth over with the score at 70-3.

It has been a miserable tournament for Jadeja, who was named CSK captain but stepped down after just over a month in the role.

MS Dhoni took over the captaincy duties once again when the India international relinquished the job at the end of last month.

And Chennai on Wednesday revealed that Jadeja will play no further part in the IPL.

Jadeja missed the 91-run hammering of Delhi Capitals on Sunday and has been ruled out of his side's three remaining games on medical advice.

Dhoni was critical of Jadeja's captaincy after he stepped down.

"I think Jadeja knew last season that he would be captaining this year," he told Star Sports.

"For the first two games, I simply oversaw his work and let him be later. After that, I insisted that he take his own decisions and bear responsibility for them.

"Once you become captain, it means a lot of demands come in. But it affected his mind as the tasks grew. I think captaincy burdened his prep and performances.

"So it was a gradual transition. Spoon-feeding doesn't really help the captain; on the field you have to take those crucial decisions and you have to take responsibility for those decisions.

"Once you become the captain, we have to take care of many things and that also includes your own game."

Holders CSK are ninth in the table with only four wins from 11 matches.

It was confirmed on Wednesday that Stokes would not appear for Chennai Super Kings in the 2024 edition of the IPL, with the 32-year-old citing the need to manage his fitness and workload.

Root has now joined his red-ball skipper in sitting out the Twenty20 tournament, which will run from March until the end of May.

Rajasthan Royals secured the services of Root at the 2023 mini-auction and he featured three times for the franchise earlier this year, but will not join up with the group that contains England white-ball captain Jos Buttler next year.

Royals director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara said: “During our retention conversations, Joe informed us of his decision to not take part in IPL 2024.

“Even in a short span of time, Joe was able to create such a positive impact on the franchise and the players around him.

“His energy around the group and the experience he brought to the Royals will be missed. We respect his decision totally and wish him success in everything he does.”

Root is set for a key role in England’s five-match Test series away to India, which starts on January 25.

Dhoni skippered CSK to their fourth title in 2021, beating KKR in the tournament decider, before his shock decision to allow Ravindra Jadeja to lead the side this year – one of two notable changes that left the Super Kings looking a little short.

CSK first missed the steadying presence of the departed Faf du Plessis – Player of the Match in last year's final – at the top of the order and were in need of a lift from Jadeja when he arrived in the middle in the eighth over.

Instead, he had Ambati Rayudu run out and almost consigned Shivam Dube to the same fate before finally settling alongside Dhoni.

The 40-year-old still did much of the heavy lifting in their 70-run, 56-ball partnership, scoring 35 off his final 13 deliveries to reach an unbeaten 50 and allow Jadeja's (26 not out) innings-ending six to take the Super Kings to what they hoped would prove a competitive 131-5.

Ultimately, that was not enough, as 44 from KKR opener Ajinkya Rahane ensured the chase was always ahead of the game.

Three Dwayne Bravo wickets saw him draw level with Lasith Malinga's IPL record of 170, but Shreyas Iyer, KKR's own new captain, finished the job with his unbeaten 20.
 

Teething problems for first-time skipper

There were no safer pair of hands in the IPL last year than Jadeja's, as he made 13 catches – the most of any player excluding wicket-keepers. But this was a nervy bow as captain in his 201st IPL match, only looking remotely comfortable with the bat once Dhoni – walking in to huge applause – took control.

Similarly, Jadeja appeared far happier playing his natural game than making big calls in the second innings, taking a simple catch from Rahane but soon blowing a review on an lbw appeal that saw Sam Billings clearly glove the ball.

KKR's long wait for Wankhede win ended

KKR ultimately fell just short in the final, but they were happy to see the 2021 tournament shifted to the United Arab Emirates due to coronavirus. The Knight Riders had won only one of their previous six IPL matches in India.

They may well have feared this match at Wankhede Stadium then, a venue at which they had suffered eight successive defeats. However, a first KKR win here since May 2012 was secured with relative ease.

Seven days after Kohli's unbeaten 72 saw Bangalore pull off an eight-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals, the captain was at it again as his 90 not out paved the way for a 37-run win.

His 52-ball heroics came in a team effort of 169-4, and Chennai could only splutter 132-8 in response, with Chris Morris taking 3-19 and snagging a run out.

It gave the Royal Challengers a fourth win in six games in the Indian Premier League this season, a record only beaten at this stage by Delhi Capitals.

Between last Saturday's success and their latest win, Bangalore slumped to a disappointing defeat to Delhi, albeit with Kohli making a team-best 43, and the India captain was at his magnificent best again on this occasion.

From 103-4 at the end of the 16th over, Royal Challengers Bangalore drastically stepped up the run rate, with 66 runs coming from those closing four overs as Kohli pushed the accelerator.

He and Shivam Dube took the fight to Chennai, riding their luck at times but also producing an array of the spectacular.

Sam Curran struck unlucky from the first ball of the 18th over when he almost had Dube caught at long-off, only for Narayan Jagadeesan to drop the ball over the boundary.

That was the first of three sixes from the English paceman's over, which cost 24 runs and gave Bangalore all the impetus they needed.

Chennai's reply was steady until it called for a big push in the final six overs, which they began with eight wickets in hand and 81 runs required.

Morris made a vital breakthrough when he threw down the stumps as Jagadeesan looked for a quick single, and the South African then removed Curran, Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo, snuffing out Chennai hopes.

Jagadeesan the jogger

It would have been perhaps the slowest of quick singles if Jagadeesan had got home for Chennai, but of course Morris had other ideas as the third wicket fell.

The 24-year-old had made a handy 33 at a healthy enough clip when he prodded away a delivery from Navdeep Saini and looked to add an extra single, but it looked unlikely from the off, and Morris was lethal with his execution of the throw at the stumps. Jagadeesan was nowhere near making his ground, replays showing him merely jogging towards the non-striker's end.

Kohli gets better of Dhoni

While his captaincy counterpart MS Dhoni was caught at long-off for just 10 in the midst of Chennai's collapse, Kohli was terrific, and the decision to replace Moeen Ali with Morris also proved a masterstroke.

Kohli has found his stride after a slow start to this IPL campaign, and Bangalore will hope the man with the most runs in the history of this competition can carry on leading them with such great fervour.

Due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 edition was not only delayed until late in the year but also transported away from India, with the United Arab Emirates hosting proceedings.

There was still one constant, however. Mumbai Indians once again came out on top, making it three titles in four years. The reigning champions will take some stopping again this time around, but their rivals will hope some fresh faces can help a different name secure the trophy.

Ahead of a new campaign, Stats Perform News makes use of Opta data to pick out six intriguing players who will hope to make a difference for their franchises in the coming weeks, as well as capitalise on the opportunity to impress with a Twenty20 World Cup to come in India later in 2021.

Kyle Jamieson (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Boom or bust? Bangalore paid a premium in a three-way bidding war to get Jamieson, who became the second-most expensive player purchased at this year's auction, eventually going for 15 crores (around $2million).

The Royal Challengers went all in betting on the potential of a player who, while still in the early stages of his international career, has impressed in all formats for New Zealand. He had played just four T20 games for the Black Caps at the time – and has since endured a tough series against Australia on home soil, during which there was just one wicket at an average of 175.

Jamieson has been one of the top performers for his country in Tests, picking up 36 wickets at a staggering average of 13.27 since his debut against India last year. There have been eye-catching performances at domestic level in T20 outings – he claimed figures of 6-7 for Canterbury.

The pressure will be on to live up to the hefty fee in his first taste of the IPL, while it should help his cause that he can contribute with the bat down the order, too.

Dawid Malan (Punjab Kings)

The numbers do not lie – Malan averages 50.15 in T20 action for England, scoring his runs at a strike-rate of 144.31 runs per 100 balls. His performances have him perched at the top of the ICC batsman rankings, comfortably clear of nearest rival Aaron Finch at the summit.

And yet, for all that the left-hander has achieved, there still remains the odd doubter over his fit in England's XI, particularly as he has often built momentum through an innings, rather than putting the pedal to the floor immediately like so many of his international team-mates.

Still, in the recent series against India, Malan was the third-highest scorer with 148 runs. That tally included 68 in the decider when he showed how he is more than capable of going on the attack from the off.

Despite the impressive numbers, Punjab Kings had no competition to secure Malan's services at the auction. He now joins a franchise who has to deal with a logjam when it comes to top-order batsmen, considering the presence of captain KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and Chris Gayle on the roster. 

Moeen Ali (Chennai Super Kings)

The England all-rounder was one of 10 players released by Royal Challengers Bangalore, having featured in only six games in 2020 as the franchise endured yet another disappointing campaign.

However, considering his ball-striking capabilities and capacity to have an impact with the ball, it was hardly surprising to see him find a new home in the auction. Now he is a member of a Chennai Super Kings franchise that has freshened things up after failing to make the play-offs for the first time in their history.

Moeen managed 309 runs and claimed 10 wickets in 2020, posting an economy rate of 7.1 runs per over, but did RCB get the most out of a player whose career IPL strike-rate sits at 158.5 runs per 100 deliveries? The 33-year-old has excelled up the order in the English domestic T20 competition, capitalising on more regular opportunities with two hundreds and 13 half-centuries.

It was perhaps surprising to see him not used in the recent five-match T20 series by England too, considering his off-spin bowling would have added a different dimension to the attack. In T20I games played in India, Moeen has an economy rate of 7.8 runs per over – that is his best in any country where he has played three or more times.

Rahul Tewatia (Rajasthan Royals)

Tewatia had made 20 IPL appearances combined across the previous five seasons before becoming a regular in 2020 with the Royals, who secured the all-rounder via a trade with the Delhi Capitals.

A left-handed batsman who also bowls leg-spin, the 27-year-old had made his debut with the same team back in 2014, then also spent a season with Kings XI Punjab (now rebranded as Punjab Kings) in 2017. However, Tewatia finally fitted in with Rajasthan last year, including claiming 10 wickets in 14 matches while going at a respectable economy rate of 7.08 runs per over.

It was his batting exploits, however, that raised his profile – and one innings in particular against Kings XI. Having laboured to 17 from 23 deliveries in a run chase, he then proceeded to hit six of the next seven he faced over the boundary. The stunning spell of hitting included five maximums in an over off West Indies paceman Sheldon Cottrell, as he helped his team reach a target of 224. 

While picked in India's T20 squad to play against England, Tewatia did not feature in the series. Still, his ball striking – he scored at a strike-rate of 160.3 against pace in the last IPL, with a boundary strike-rate of 19 per cent – could lead to international opportunities in the future.

Shahrukh Khan (Punjab Kings)

To say the IPL auction was a life-changing moment for Shahrukh is an understatement. The 25-year-old batsman eventually went to the big-spending Punjab Kings – who out-bid Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore – for over 50 times his base price, a hefty sum based on his big-hitting potential.

Shahrukh's domestic Twenty20 record is underwhelming, but teams were interested after his exploits for Tamil Nadu in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, including 40 from just 19 balls in a quarter-final against Himachal Pradesh.

Kings head coach Anil Kumble has been suitably impressed by the new signing during practice sessions ahead of this year's competition, even heaping a little extra pressure on the right-hander's shoulders by saying he sees similarities to Kieron Pollard.

If Shahrukh can translate his domestic results to the IPL stage, it will help balance out a batting line-up that lacked depth, even with KL Rahul finishing as the leading run-scorer in 2020.

Abdul Samad (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

At 19, Samad looks a real prospect in white-ball cricket, having become just the fourth cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to earn an IPL contract when picked up by the Sunrisers in 2020.

A first IPL experience did not have eye-popping numbers in terms of his overall output, finishing with 111 runs in 12 matches. However, a top score of 33 against the Delhi Capitals showcased his talent, including taking 14 runs off three deliveries from South Africa paceman Anrich Nortje.

The right-hander finished up with a strike rate of 170.76 for the season, aided by a boundary strike-rate of 21.5 per cent. 

Hyderabad have tended to front-load their batting line-up, though the absence of all-rounder Mitchell Marsh – the Australian has pulled out of the 2021 season for personal reasons, with opener Jason Roy signed as a replacement – may benefit Samad, if he is given the chance to continue in a middle-order role.

Lucknow looked set for defeat when Quinton de Kock fell for 61 in their pursuit of 211 for a maiden IPL win, but Lewis stepped up with a blistering 23-ball 55 to stun CSK.

Robin Uthappa breezed to a 25-ball half-century before he was pinned in front for 50 by Ravi Bishnoi (2-24).

Moeen Ali continued the flurry of runs with his 35 off 22 deliveries, while Shivam Dube's clean striking in his 30-ball 49 along with MS Dhoni's brisk 16 propelled Chennai to an imposing total of 210-7.

De Kock and KL Rahul (40) shared an opening stand of 99 from 10.2 overs before the India batter was caught by Ambati Rayudu off Dwaine Pretorius.

Manish Pandey (five) followed soon after to Tushar Deshpande (1-40), with Bravo taking the catch, and Lucknow's chances seemingly diminished when De Kock skied a Pretorius slower ball to Dhoni.

Bravo (1-35) surpassed Lasith Malinga as he claimed his 171st wicket in the IPL by dismissing Deepak Hooda (13), but Lewis and Ayush Badoni, who raced to 19 off 9, saw the Super Giants to an unlikely victory with three balls to spare.

Lewis cuts loose after De Dock fireworks 

De Kock laid the platform for Lewis' late onslaught and the West Indies batter delivered in emphatic fashion.

The 30-year-old almost single-handedly turned the game on its head, launching three sixes and hitting six fours.

Bravo for Pretorius in losing cause

Pretorius claimed the two big wickets of openers Rahul and De Kock as he took 2-31, registering the lowest economy of any Super Kings bowler (7.75).

It was a memorable day for the 38-year-old Bravo, as the former West Indies captain returned 1-35 from his four overs, but he was unable to celebrate a victory.

Punjab won their first game of the new IPL season but lost to Kolkata Knight Riders last time out, though they made light work of CSK on Sunday.

Livingstone was the difference-maker, as he struck 60 from 32 deliveries before succumbing to Ravindra Jadeja (1-34).

The England international needed to be at his best, however, given Punjab lost Mayank Agarwal and Bhanuka Rajapaksa in the first two overs.

Shikhar Dhawan (33) played his part, putting on a 95-run partnership with Livingstone until Dwayne Bravo (1-32) struck and Jitesh Sharma entertained on his debut, hitting three sixes in a rapidly accumulated 26 as Punjab reached 180-8 from their innings.

Kagiso Rabada's only wicket came early as CSK started their chase, the paceman dismissing Ruturaj Gaikwad, with Vaibhav Arora (2-21) bowling Moeen Ali for a duck.

Shivam Dube's fantastic 57 from 30 balls gave CSK hope, yet Livingstone drew an edge and then caught-and-bowled Bravo with the next delivery. A hat-trick did not materialise, but he fittingly dismissed international team-mate Chris Jordan to seal the win.

Livingstone lights up the stage

It was a supreme knock from Livingstone, who finally got a half-century under his belt in the IPL. His previous best score in the competition was 44 off 26 for Rajasthan Royals all the way back in 2019.

His 60 included 10 boundaries, with five of those clearing the rope, while he finished with fine bowling figures of 3-25.

Expensive spell for Choudhary

It was a day to forget for CSK's Mukesh Choudhary, who went for 52 off his four overs, taking just one wicket, which came in the very first over of the match.

Chasing 169-5 in Pune, Gujarat reached their target with one ball to spare – Miller and Rashid Khan (40) playing the telling knocks after a shaky start to the reply.

Victory for Gujarat was a fifth in sixth matches and keeps them flying high at the top of the IPL, but this clash against lowly Chennai could easily have gone the other way.

Chennai's Ruturaj Gaikwad made 73 and Ambati Rayudu weighed in with 46.

Gaikwad's runs came from just 48 balls, and he swatted five of those deliveries for four and another five for six as the Titans attack suffered at his hands.

Gujarat were in a desperate situation when Shubman Gill and Vijay Shankar went for ducks, with Abhinav Manohar then falling for 12 to leave the chasers on 16-3 after 3.5 overs.

Maheesh Theekshana took two of those wickets, and Ravindra Jadeja got in on the act when he had Wriddhiman Saha caught on the leg side to leave the Titans 48-4.

But Miller dug in and while he was outstanding, it was Rashid who struck the blows that swung the momentum Gujarat's way, taking 22 runs from Chris Jordan's first four balls of the 18th over.

By the end of it, Gujarat required 23 runs from 12 deliveries, and despite Rashid's dismissal, the target fell to 13 from the final six balls.

Jordan gallantly returned and bowled two dot balls but was then carted for six by Miller, who was subsequently caught at short third man, but the delivery was too high and a no-ball was given.

Miller, grateful for his reprieve, clattered the next ball through the leg side for four, before dashing two, beating the fielder's throw as he snatched the match-winning runs.

Gaikwad comes good

Gaikwad owed Chennai a performance and this was more like it from the 25-year-old, who had one century and four fifties in the competition last year. He was unlucky to finish on the beaten side.

Miller time

After a top score of an unbeaten 31 in his previous five innings this season, Miller turned back the clock to his early days in the IPL, fashioning his highest score in the competition since the 2013 season, when he made his only century to date. He clattered eight fours and six sixes in this 51-ball effort.

Punjab's net run rate ensured even a huge win would be highly unlikely to give them a chance of sneaking into the play-offs, with Kolkata Knight Riders in pole position for the final spot.

The Kings were theoretically still in the hunt, though, as this match ended, after moving up to fifth place by hammering second-placed Super Kings at the Dubai International Stadium, chasing down their target of 135 with seven overs to spare.

Faf du Plessis made 76 from 55 balls as CSK posted 134-6, Chris Jordan the pick of the bowlers with 2-20 and Arshdeep Singh taking 2-35.

That total was nowhere near enough as Punjab captain Rahul, the leading run-scorer in the tournament, smashed an unbeaten 98 from just 42 deliveries in a stunning knock.

The India opening batsman became the Kings' highest run-scorer in the history of the franchise, showing incredible timing and power to move his side up to fifth place.

KKR faced Rajasthan Royals later in the day knowing their fate was in their hands, with Mumbai Indians only having an outside chance of qualifying ahead of their last league game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday.

Du Plessis one-man show

Du Plessis stepped up as his team-mates failed with the bat, Ravindra Jadeja the second-highest scorer in the CSK innings with 15 not out.

The Super Kings were reeling on 61-5 from 12 overs when MS Dhoni was bowled by Ravi Bishnoi after the returning Jordan and Arshdeep took two wickets apiece.

Former South Africa captain Du Plessis almost carried his bat, eventually falling in the last over from Mohammed Shami after hitting two sixes and eight fours.

Rahul runs riot

It has been an outstanding IPL for Rahul, who holds the orange cap with a competition-high 626 runs from 13 innings at an average of 62.60.

Rahul raced to a half-century in only 25 balls and finished just short of a deserved hundred, clearing the rope eight times and hitting seven fours.

He launched Shardul Thakur, who took 3-28, for six to seal an emphatic win after the bowling of Deepak Chahar and Dwayne Bravo in particular had been taken apart.

KL Rahul, Kyle Mayers, Krunal Pandya and Marcus Stoinis were all dispatched by Moeen (4-26), who dismissed all but one of the Super Giants' first five batsmen.

Ruturaj Gaikwad (57) and Devon Conway (47) opened for the Super Kings in a strong start with a 110-run stand, before the pair were eventually sent packing by Ravi Bishnoi (3-28) and Mark Wood (3-49).

The Super Kings then lost momentum, with their next seven batters accumulating just 117 additional runs to set the Super Giants a target of 217.

Rahul (20) and Mayers (53) gave the Super Giants' chase a promising start, but Deepak Hooda (2) and Pandya (9) failed to reach double figures as the visitors began to wane.

Krishnappa Gowtham (17) and Ayush Badoni (23) got the Super Giants close with 18 runs on a single Deepak Chahar (0-55) over.

But superb bowling from Tushar Deshpande (2-45) limited Lucknow to just seven runs in the 18th over, then just about defending a lead of 28 on the last to seal a Super Kings victory.

Ali in his groove

A fine bowling display from Moeen saw him register his best IPL bowling figures in the competition's victory.

He became just the fifth spinner to take a four-wicket haul at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in the IPL.

Dhoni's landmark

Hitting two sixes off three balls, MS Dhoni took his overall run tally in the IPL to 5,004, becoming just the seventh player overall and fifth Indian to score over 5,000 runs in the competition's history.

Morris was eventually signed by Rajasthan Royals - who he played for in 2015 - following a bidding war that saw four teams battling it out to secure the services of the South African all-rounder. 

His final price finished up at 16.25crore, which equates to around £1.6million, putting him ahead of Yuvraj Singh (16cr) on the list of biggest auction purchases in the global Twenty20 tournament.

"I'm super-stoked, super-humbled to be joining Rajasthan again," Morris said in a video message posted by his new team on Twitter.

"I had an unbelievably good time, and a good season, one of the better times in my cricket career, with Rajasthan in 2015, so I'm unbelievably happy, unbelievably excited.

"We have a very good squad, so joining up with Rajasthan is a very cool experience."

Royal Challengers Bangalore were big spenders in their bid to secure a maiden title this year, getting New Zealand paceman Kyle Jamieson for 14.25cr (£1.5m) having already signed Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell (14cr - £1.4m) for a fraction less than that earlier in proceedings. 

Jhye Richardson also collected a huge deal, snapped up for the same price as compatriot Maxwell by Punjab Kings, who added another Australian paceman to their roster in Riley Meredith, who has yet to play international cricket in any format. 

Having been released by Rajasthan Royals at the start of this year, Steve Smith is now a member of the Delhi Capitals, along with India fast bowler Umesh Yadav and Englishman Sam Billings. 

Moeen Ali saw a considerable rise from his base price, the England all-rounder eventually going for a final sum of £700,000 to Chennai Super Kings. 

While a premium was paid for pace bowling during the auction, the market was a little less frantic for batsmen. 

Dawid Malan – who sits top of the International Cricket Council's batting rankings in the shortest format – will play for Punjab Kings, but English openers Alex Hales and Jason Roy both went unsold. 

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is heading back to the Kolkata Knight Riders for 3.2crore (£315,000), while Krishnappa Gowtham went for 9.25crore (£900,000) to the Super Kings, making him the most expensive uncapped India player ever.

As for Mumbai Indians, the main additions by the two-time defending champions came to their bowling attack as they added Adam Milne, Nathan Coulter-Nile and leg-spinner Piyush Chawla. 

The 14th edition of the IPL is scheduled to begin during April and run into May. Last year's delayed tournament was staged in the United Arab Emirates due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The pledge came from Narayanaswami Srinivasan, the former ICC chairman and BCCI president who is managing director of India Cements, the team's owners.

Dhoni has not played for India since last year's Cricket World Cup, with the 38-year-old having occasionally made himself unavailable for selection at times since the tournament.

Speculation has since been rife over Dhoni's future ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup, which takes place later this year.

However, Srinivasan has moved to end any doubt over Dhoni's place with IPL side Super Kings, insisting the wicketkeeper-batsman will be retained next season.

"People keep saying when will he... how long will he play, etc," Srinivasan told reporters when asked about Dhoni, who has been left off the BCCI's list of centrally contracted players.

Srinivasan, speaking at an Entrepreneurs' Organization event in Chennai, added: "He will play. I can assure you. He will play this year. Next year he will go the auction; he will be retained there. So there is no doubt in anybody's mind."

Dhoni previously led India to two world titles – the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 World Cup – making 90 Test appearances, featuring in 350 ODIs and playing 98 T20 internationals.

It was the most one-sided of contests at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, where CSK could only post 114-9 on Friday.

That marked something of a recovery for the bottom side, who were reeling on 3-4 after Boult (4-18) and Jasprit Bumrah (2-25) took two wickets apiece in devastating opening bursts.

They were rocking on 43-7 before Sam Curran spared them complete humiliation with 52 from 47 balls. 

Rahul Chahar also capitalised on the sorry Super Kings' batting frailties by taking 2-22 and the Indians openers made light work of moving them back to the summit.

Kishan made 68 from a mere 37 deliveries and the in-form Quinton de Kock finished unbeaten on 46 as the defending champions sealed a thumping win with as many as 7.4 overs to spare.

Victory moves Mumbai level on points with Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

BOULT AND BUMRAH WREAK HAVOC IN PITIFUL POWERPLAY

CSK were floored by Boult and Bumrah as they lost five wickets in the powerplay for the first time ever.

The brilliant Boult trapped Ruturaj Gaikwad leg before in the first over and had Faf du Plessis caught behind by De Kock after Bumrah struck twice in as many balls, seeing the back of Ambati Rayudu and Narayan Jagadeesan.

Curran offered some much-needed resistance without notable support before he was bowled off the last ball of the innings from Boult, who also dismissed Ravindra Jadeja.

New Zealand seamer Boult is third in the list of leading wicket-takers in the 2020 IPL with 16, one less than Bumrah.

SEALED WITH A KISH

It takes a special innings to upstage South Africa white-ball captain De Kock and Kishan produced one.

The 22-year-old struck five sixes in another demonstration of his immense talent, reaching his half-century by disdainfully reverse-sweeping Jadea over the rope.

Gaikwad gave Kishan a life when he put him down, summing up CSK's day, and De Kock - who had made three consecutive half-centuries - struck a couple of sixes as Mumbai coasted to victory.