IPL 2021 Match 8: Chennai Super Kings beat Punjab Kings by 6 wickets — as it happened

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Chennai Super Kings open account in style

Kolkata: Chennai Super Kings seam bowler Deepak Chahar set it up for his team with a dream spell as the three-time champions coasted to a six-wicket win over Punjab Kings for their first win in IPL 2021 today.

Chahar turned in a memorable spell of 4-1-13-4 to restrict the formidable batting line-up of Punjab Kings to a paltry total of 106 for eight in Mumbai this evening. The yellow shirts then coasted to the small target - not not before a few hiccups - which saw them lose the wickets of topscorer Moeen Ali (46 off 31 balls), Ruturaj Gaekwad, Suresh Raina & Ambati Rayudu.

After losing Gaekwad early, Moen and Faf du Plessis (36 off 33 balls) stitched together a 66-run stand for second wicket to win the three-time champions on way to victory.

Sent into bat by rival skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni earlier, Punjab were off to a disastrous start as they lost opener Mayank Agarwal (0) in the first over before skipper KL Rahul was run out. Newcomer Shahrukh Khan tried his best to hold the innings together with a defiant 47 off 36 balls, which included four boundaries and two sixes.

Relive the match as it happened ...

Chahar's blows restrict Punjab Kings to paltry 106/8

Kolkata: Deepak Chahar turned in a memorable spell of 4-1-13-4 to restrict the formidable batting line-up of Punjab Kings to a paltry total of 106 for eight against Chennai Super Kings in Mumbai this evening.

Sent into bat by rival skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Punjab were off to a disastrous start as they lost opener Mayank Agarwal (0) in the first over before skipper KL Rahul was run out. Newcomer Shahrukh Khan tried his best to hold the innings together with a defiant 47 off 36 balls, which included four boundaries and two sixes.

Chahar's controlled swing both ways, aided by the conditions at Wankhede Stadium, set Punjab on the backfoot early - from which they could never recover.

Chennai look to get back to winning ways against Punjab

Kolkata: The pressure will be on Chennai Super Kings, who failed to defend a decent total in their first game, as they look for their first points against a buoyant Punjab Kings on Friday.

The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, if Thursday’s game is any indication, is likely to provide a strip with bit of both for the batsmen and bowlers. This should be good news for KL Rahul’s men, who boast of some serious firepower in the in-form captain, Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle and Deepak Hooda – the last-named making a huge difference in them reaching a 200-plus total in the first game.

The yellow shirts, three-time winners, need to show some urgency on this front. There is already a clamour to get M.S.Dhoni higher up the order than number seven, where he lasted for two balls before being bowled while going for a heave against Delhi Capitals’ Avesh Khan the other day.

Can he shrug off the lean patch with the bat since last season? We will know soon.