Chennai Super King skipper MS Dhoni said that Chennai crowd deserved this kind of thriller match. Yesterday CSK chased down the 202 runs target and defeated KKR by 5 wickets with 1 ball to go.
Post Match Conference CSK skipper Said: “It feels good, to come back after two years and win. The crowd deserved the first innings and the second innings,”
“It’s good to see Sam bat the way he batted,” said Dhoni, “Yes, we did go for runs, and Kolkata did bat well. Bowlers from both sides had a rough time, but I’m sure the crowd enjoyed.” The match had a remarkable end as CSK needing 17 to win off the final over. Ravindra Jadeja finished it off in a style by hitting a six off the penultimate ball. This was their second win of the season with the first one against defending champions Mumbai Indians being a likewise a nail biter finish.
Chennai Super Kings’ bowlers, particularly Dwayne Bravo, were squeezed by Andre Russell who smashed 88 runs off just 36 balls. His innings included 11 sixes and four. KKR set a target of 203 but CSK went on to surpass that target largely thanks to Sam Billings’ half century.
Billings smashed 56 off 23 balls as CSK chased down a rigid target of 203 in their successful homecoming. It was Billings’ first chance to bat alongside Dhoni and their half-century partnership did go a long way in confirming a win for the team.
“It’s about being composed and there’s not a better person to have at the crease than Dhoni,” Billings said at the post-match press conference.
“It means a lot to me but also to the team. But probably it means more to the fans who haven’t had cricket here for the last two years,” Billings said.
“We saw the passion of our fans during practice sessions. We had 10,000 people rock up for a practice game. It shows how much it means to people in this part of the world.”
KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik accepted that it was frustrating not being able to defend 202. “Look, CSK had great support and we were expecting that. Hats off to them. Frustrating no to defend 202, but well done to Andre (Russell). These things happen in T20 cricket, so you’ve got to keep your chin up and move on. Basically, you need to know that you’ll lose some games, so it’s important to take the positives and not repeat our mistakes,” he said.
League Point Table
| P | W | L | NRR | Pts | |
| CSK | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.254 | 4 |
| SRH | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.771 | 2 |
| KXIP | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.567 | 2 |
| MI | 1 | 0 | 1 | -0.271 | 0 |
| DD | 1 | 0 | 1 | -0.567 | 0 |
| RCB | 1 | 0 | 1 | -0.598 | 0 |
| RR | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1.771 | 0 |
