Noor Ahmad spins CSK to comprehensive win over KKR

Despite not scoring a single half-century in their innings, Chennai Super Kings were able to post 192 for 5, the second-highest total in the IPL without a single player scoring more than 50 runs. As CSK celebrated the Tamil New Year with a victory, their third win in succession on April 14, Kolkata Knight Riders were held to 160 for 7. Noor Ahmad. Any chance of KKR remaining in the game depended on the middle order taking a proactive approach because the openers fell within the Powerplay. However, they weren't allowed that thanks to Noor's regular strikes, while Akeal Hosein also did a good job from the other end to keep KKR in check. For the fourth time in five outings, CSK's opening stand didn't last beyond the third over. Ruturaj Gaikwad's stay was also brief for the fifth time this season. The CSK captain had an edgy start, getting a boundary past slip off Cameron Green before he went for a slog sweep off Anukul Roy, only to find deep midwicket. However, Sanju Samson's hat trick of fours in the first over bowled by Vaibhav Arora set the pace. Ayush Mhatre, retired out in the previous game, came out with a point to prove as he dealt in regular boundaries and also struck two sixes off Green to power CSK past fifty in four overs. Samson got his first six off Anukul in the fifth over, continuing from where he left off last game. Mhatre hit a hat trick of fours this time when Arora bowled the final Powerplay over, but the youngster fell off the final ball of the sixth over for a 17-ball 38. Varun Chakaravarthy, who returned to the XI after missing two games, was hit for a four by Samson. The South African, who did not get a chance to bat in the previous game, made an immediate impact in this by hitting a six off Sunil Narine in his first over. The next ball saw the bat slip out of Samson's hands and he duly got a change of gloves after the over. Brevis got a leading edge off Narine that fell clear of the fielders, before Samson's six off Kartik Tyagi took CSK past 100 in the 10th over. Varun, on the other hand, got off to a good start by keeping the batters at bay and only giving up 11 runs in his first two innings. With another six from Tyagi, Samson attempted to ease the pressure, but he was bowled shortly after, two short of a fifty. KKR sneaked in a few economical overs before Sarfaraz Khan's six and Brevis' two fours, all in the 14th over off Varun, helped CSK regain the momentum. Thanks to Narine and Tyagi, who hit a few crucial shots. Even though Arora scored 20 runs in the 16th over, Narine only gave up seven runs in his final over before taking the wicket of Sarfaraz and Tyagi took the big wicket of Brevis in a six-run over. Arora backed up those efforts with a nine-run 19th over, and Tyagi finished it off well, giving away only eight. The last four overs yielded only 30 runs, with Shivam Dube and Jamie Overton getting only a boundary each. Narine came out to open alongside Impact Player Finn Allen and struck a six off Khaleel Ahmed in the first over. He was reprieved by the CSK skipper and also added another six to his tally, along with a boundary. But it was CSK who dictated terms in the Powerplay. Allen got a leading edge off Anshul Kamboj and Narine got one off Khaleel. Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi had a slow start, leaving KKR with only 36 for 2 - the third lowest Powerplay score this season. After a slow Powerplay, KKR made much better progress, with Raghuvanshi and Rahane scoring a few boundaries and sixes on their way to a fifty-century stand. The two batters also got lucky breaks, with Brevis dropping a tough chance on the run to reprieve Raghuvanshi and Sarfaraz dropping Rahane. But Akeal Hosein managed to send Raghuvanshi back, with Brevis holding on to the catch this time. Noor Ahmed ended Rahane's stay, followed it up by dismissing Green for a first-ball duck, and then accounted for Rinku Singh in his next over to leave KKR in a lot of trouble at 90 for 6 in the 13th over. From that point on, Rovman Powell and Ramandeep Singh could only narrow the still-large margin of defeat. Bowling from the V. The KKR bowlers had a hard time at Pattabhiraman Gate End, where they scored 121/3 at a run-rate of 12.1. It was 71/2 at a run-rate of 7.1 at the Anna Pavilion End, the opposite end. Spinners were the most effective from the Anna Pavilion End, bagging 2 for 45 in 8 overs, while they went for 23 in two wicketless overs from the Pattabhiraman end. From KKR's batting perspective, neither end helped - 80/4 from the Anna Pavilion end, and 80/3 from the V Pattabhiraman Gate end. After two successive wins at home, CSK travel to Hyderabad to face SRH on April 18. After five matches, KKR hasn't won a single one. On April 17, they play GT in Ahmedabad.