NEW DELHI: On a night MS Dhoni resumed the captaincy mantle for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), it was Kolkata Knight Riders‘ Sunil Narine who stole the spotlight with a stunning all-round performance that silenced the Chepauk faithful on Friday.
The Ajinkya Rahane-led side, chasing a modest 104, romped to an eight-wicket win in just 10.1 overs, riding on Narine’s blitz and a collective bowling masterclass.
Dhoni’s return to leadership, following Ruturaj Gaikwad’s injury, was expected to lift CSK, but the veteran keeper-batter managed just 1 off 4 balls and fell LBW to the man of the moment, Sunil Narine, in the 16th over of the game.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
That moment, accompanied by stunned silence in the stands, summed up CSK’s woeful evening.
After opting to bowl, KKR’s spinners choked the hosts on a dry surface.
Narine led the charge with a mesmeric spell of 3 for 13, dismantling the middle and lower order with guile and bite.
His victims included Rahul Tripathi, Ravindra Jadeja, and Dhoni — three massive scalps that sucked the life out of CSK’s innings.
Only Shivam Dube (31 not out) and Vijay Shankar (29) showed resistance as CSK limped to 103/9, their lowest-ever IPL total at home and third lowest overall.
The rest of the lineup crumbled under the pressure applied by Narine, Harshit Rana (2/16), and Varun Chakaravarthy (2/22).
Narine wasn’t done yet.
Opening the chase, he launched into the CSK bowlers, smashing 44 off just 18 balls, with 5 sixes and 2 fours — a cameo that turned a modest target into a formality.
He fell just shy of a fifty, but by then, KKR were well on course.
Rahane (20 not out) and Rinku Singh (15 not out), finished the job, with the latter smashing a six off Jadeja to seal the emphatic win.
In the end, it was Narine’s night — ball, bat, and brilliance — as KKR humbled CSK and muted the Dhoni fairytale.
Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, points table and IPL live score for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Don’t miss the list of players in the race for IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple cap.
