So, what happened? Kings XI Punjab produced a scintillating show to overwhelm defending champions and favourites Chennai Super Kings in the penultimate league game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 at Mohali.
KL Rahul hit the third fastest fifty of the season, of 19 balls, to lay the perfect foundation to the chase. The highlight of Rahul's knock was a 24-run over from Harbhajan Singh. Then Nicholas Pooran, one of the finds of the season, played a blinder.
Earlier, Faf du Plessis played a brilliant knock but got in the 90s. He was involved in a 120-run second wicket stand with Suresh Raina.
But MS Dhoni will be happy considering the fact that they will finish the league phase in top two.
Playing XIs:
Kings XI Punjab: Chris Gayle, Lokesh Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Mandeep Singh, Sam Curran, Harpreet Brar, Ravichandran Ashwin (c), Andrew Tye, Murugan Ashwin, Mohammed Shami
Chennai Super Kings: Faf du Plessis, Shane Watson, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Deepak Chahar, Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir
Kings XI Punjab win by six wickets with 12 balls to spare. Some result.
7:26 PM IST: Imran Tahir on with his last over. A single to Mandeep Singh, to long-off. Two dots to Sam Curran. A single to mid-off. Then, Mandeep Singh hits the winning runs, a four to long on.
7:23 PM IST: Ravindra Jadeja on with his second wicket and gets the wicket of Nicholas Pooran, caught behind off the second ball. Pooran made 36 off 22. Sam Curran is the new man. Three runs from the over. KXIP-166/4 after 17 overs. They need five from 18.
7:16 PM IST: Nicholas Pooran is making fun of Imran Tahir, one of the craftiest spinners in the world. He hits the second ball for a four, behind the wicket with MS Dhoni making a rare error, then a six over deep mid-wicket. 12 runs from the over. KXIP-163/3 after 16 overs. They need eight from 24.
7:13 PM IST: Ravindra Jadeja gets his first over. Nicholas Pooran hits the first ball for a huge six over deep mid-wicket. Two dot balls, then a four to long on. CSK will finish in top two. KXIP needed to beat them inside 15 overs to displace the defending champions from top two. 13 runs from the over. KXIP-151/3 after 15 overs. They need 20 from 30.
7:09 PM IST: Dwayne Bravo on with his fourth over. A single to Mandeep Singh. Then Nicholas Pooran plays the second ball to deep extra cover and run four courtesy an overthrow from Ravindra Jadeja. Kedar Jadhav, who stopped the ball at deep, injures himself and walks off the field. 12 runs from the over. KXIP-138/3 after 14 overs. Bravo's figures: 0/27.
7:03 PM IST: Harbhajan Singh gets another wicket, that of Mayank Agarwal, caught at deep backward square leg by Ravindra Jadeja. But the veteran spinner continues to leak runs. He concedes nine runs from his last over, including a six over cow corner, hit by Nicholas Pooran. Harbhajan's figures: 3/57. KXIP-126/3 after 13 overs. They need 45 runs from 42.
6:58 PM IST: Imran Tahir returns for his second over. Four singles from it. KXIP-117/2 after 12 overs. They need 54 runs required from 48 balls.
6:55 PM IST: Harbhajan Singh hits back. He dismisses both the openers - KL Rahul (71 off 36) and Chris Gayle (28 off 28) off successive deliveries, off the third and fourth. Seven runs from the over. KXIP-113/2 after 11 overs. Nicholas Pooran and Mayank Agarwal are the new men.
6:49 PM IST: Dwayne Bravo on with his third over. Six runs from it -- four singles and two wides. KXIP-106/0 after 10 overs. They need 65 runs from 60 balls.
6:44 PM IST: KL Rahul is on fire. Hits Deepak Chahar for back-to-back fours to end the over. Chahar's figures: 0/28 with 10 runs coming from the last over. KXIP-100/0 after nine overs. They need 71 from 66.
6:38 PM IST: Dwayne Bravo on with his second over. Five singles from the over. KXIP-90/ after eight overs. They need 81 runs from 72 balls.
6:30 PM IST: Imran Tahir on with his first over. Chris Gayle hits the last three balls for a four and two sixes. 17 runs from the over. KXIP-85/0 after seven overs. They need 86 from 78 balls. Time out.
6:26 PM IST: A very lengthy over from Dwayne Bravo. Three dots, two singles, four leg byes and two wides. Eight runs from the over. KXIP-68/0 after six overs.
6:20 PM IST: Deepak Chahar continues with his third over. Three runs from the over. KXIP-60/0 after five overs. Punjab need 111 runs from 90 balls.
6:15 PM IST: Fifty from 19 balls for KL Rahul. He hits Harbhajan Singh for three fours and two sixes in the over for 24 runs. KXIP-57/0 after four overs. They need 114 runs.
6:00 PM IST: Another very good over for Punjab. KL Rahul hits Deepak Chahar for fours off the first and third balls. Nine runs from the over. KXIP-33/0 after three runs. They need 138 runs.
6:05 PM IST: Harbhajan Singh on with his second over. 18 runs from it with KL Rahul showing his range and class. Chris Gayle hits the first ball for a four to long leg boundary, then Rahul hits the fourth and fifth balls for sixes. Top class. KXIP-24/0 after two overs.
6:00 PM IST: Deepak Chahar keeps KL Rahul for five balls, then the KXIP opener hits the last ball for a six over mid-wicket boundary.
5:41 PM IST: What a final over from Mohammed Shami. Get the wickets of Ambati Rayudu and Kedar Jadhav off the second and fourth deliveries, caught at deep square midwicket by Mandeep Singh and bowled respectively. MS Dhoni runs two off the last ball. Five runs and two wickets from the over. Shami's figures: 2/17 from three overs. CSK-170/5. Just 28 runs from the last four overs. Very unlike CSK.
5:32 PM IST: Faf du Plessis hits the third ball for a six. Huge, over deep mid-wicket. Then, Sam Curran hits back with an unplayable yorker. Bowled. Literally floored. FoW-163/3 (18.4 Over) Faf out for 96 off 55. He hit ten fours and four sixes. Ambati Rayudu is the new man. A single, as MS Dhoni hustled. 11 runs from the over. Curran's figures: 3/35. CSK-165/3 after 19 overs.
5:26 PM IST: Ravichandran Ashwin completes his spell. Four runs from his last over, keeping MS Dhoni quiet. His figures: 0/23. CSK-154/2 after 18 overs.
5:22 PM IST: Sam Curran returns for his third over and his second. He had Suresh Raina caught at short fine leg by a rather cool Mohammed Shami, who just needed to stoop. FoW-150/2 (16.4 Over). Raina made 53 off 38. It brought MS Dhoni in the centre and a huge cheer from the crowd. Eight runs from the over. CSK-150/2 after 17 overs.
5:17 PM IST: Andrew Tye on with his third over. Faf du Plessis hits the first ball for a four to long-off, then another to leg side, then a six over long-on. 18 runs from the over. CSK-142/1 after 16 overs.
5:09 PM IST: A double off the first ball to deep mid-wicket, then a four to the same corrider. And fifty for Suresh Raina, in 34 balls with the help of five fours and two sixes. A single then Faf du Plessis hits the fourth ball for a four, straight. The South African follows up with a six, over long on. Button has been pressed. A single to end Murugan Ashwin's third over. 18 runs from it. CSK-124/1 after 15 overs. Faf and Raina have added 94 in 65. Time out.
5:05 PM IST: Ravichandran Ashwin with his third over. Five singles from it. CSK-106/1 after 14 overs. Suresh Raina one shot away from another fifty.
5:01 PM IST: Murugan Ashwin on with his second over. Faf du Plessis plays the first ball to deep square leg for his second fifty of the season. 37 balls with seven fours. Two dots to Suresh Raina. Then, a single long on. Four singles from the over. CSK-101/1 after 13 overs.
4:57 PM IST Andrew Tye on with his second over. A single, then a four to fine leg. Tye then asks for a review, convincing R Ashwin to take the DRS for LBW. Nothing happening, huge deflection. Wasted. Seven runs from the over. CSK-97/1 after 12 overs.
4:52 PM IST: Murugan Ashwin, leg spinner, on with his first over. A single to Faf du Plessis. Another single as Suresh Raina plays towards long on. Faf then launches the third ball over the bowler's head for a four. Ball lands just inside the rope. Faf goes for a sweep and misses. Checking for a stumping. A dreadful misfield, between the legs of KL Rahul at long on, for a four, and R Ashwin has a long stare. If looks could kill! 11 runs from the over. CSK-90/1 after 11 overs. 41 runs from the last four overs.
4:46 PM IST: Andrew Tye, right-arm fast, gets his first over. A single to Suresh Raina. Faf du Plessis hits the second ball for a four, over extra cover. A single to mid-wicket, then a four to deep backward point by Raina. Two more singles and 12 runs from the over. CSK-79/1 after 10 overs. Faf and Raina have added 49 runs in 35 balls for the second wicket.
4:39 PM IST: Harpreet Brar on with his third over. A single to short fine leg as a lucky Faf du Plessis gets an inside edge which almost plays on the leg stump. Two more singles. A dot, then Suresh Raina lofts the fifth ball over deep mid-wicket for a six. A single to end the over. 10 runs from the over. CSK-667/1 after nine overs. Time out.
4:35 PM IST: Ravichandran Ashwin on with his second over. Deft touch from Suresh Raina, and a four to third man. Very quick outfield. A single, then Ashwin beats Faf du Plessis. A single to long-on. Another to long-off. One more single to deep mid-wicket to end the over. Eight runs from the over. CSK_57/1 after eight overs.
4:32 PM IST: Harpreet Brar returns for his second over. Three dots to Suresh Raina. But the seasoned batsman just about clears the long-on boundary for a six. Seven runs from the over. CSK-49/1 after seven overs.
4:28 PM IST: Ravichandran Ashwin introduces himself into the attack. Suresh Raina hits the fourth ball for a four to deep mid-wicket. Six runs from the over. CSK-42/1 after six overs.
4:26 PM IST: New man Suresh Raina almost plays on. Faf du Plessis hits the fifth ball for a four, to deep mid-wicket. A single to end the seven-run over. CSK-36/1 after five overs.
4:21 PM IST: Sam Curran continues wit his second over. Wide, down the leg. Then the wicket of Shane Watson. Bowled, kissing the offside with his scrambled seam. FoW-30/1 (4.1 Over). Watson made seven off 11.
4:19 PM IST: Mohammed Shami on with his second over. And TV commentators have a hearty laugh talking about KXIP's chances, of beating CSK by 251 runs and keeping playoff chances alive. Brilliant over from Shami. Singles of second and third balls, but a four off the last ball, a full toss hit through mid-wicket by Faf du Plessis. Six runs from the over. CSK-29/0 after four overs.
4:13 PM IST: Sam Curran, left-arm medium pacer, gets his first over and Faf du Plessis plays with a straight bat to middle the overpitched delivery for a four. A double off the next ball, to deep mid-wicket. A quick single to mid-on, and a check for a run out at the bowler's end. No harm done. Another single, to deep mid-wicket. Again, a similar shot and another single. A dot to end the over. Nine runs from the over. CSK-23/0 after three overs.
4:08 PM IST: Mohammed Shami, right-arm fast medium, on with the second over. A full toss to Faf du Plessis, and put away with elan to deep square leg for a four. R Ashwin toys with the idea of having a slip for a couple of deliveries than with limited movement, left the cordon empty. Three more singles and seven runs from the over. CSK-14/0 after two overs.
4:03 PM IST: Harpreet Brar, 23 year-old-old local boy, opens the proceedings with his left arm spin. Three singles and a four off the last ball, hit by Shane Watson through cover point. Seven runs from the over.
3:43 PM IST: Key players will be KL Rahul and R Ashwin for KXIP, and MS Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh for CSK.
3:32 PM IST: Kings XI Punjab captain R Ashwin wins the toss and will bowl first against unchanged Chennai Super Kings.
3:20 PM IST: In the previous meetings 2, CSK have won 13, while KXIP have managed eight. In fact, MS Dhoni has five fifties against KXIP - his most against any opposition in the IPL.
If CSK win today, it will be their 100th IPL victory. Earlier in the season, Mumbai Indians have become the first team to achieve that milestone.
3:11 PM IST: Likely XIs:
Kings XI Punjab: Chris Gayle, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Mandeep Singh, Sam Curran, Ravichandran Ashwin (c), Murugan Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Andrew Tye
Chennai Super Kings: Faf du Plessis, Shane Watson, Suresh Raina, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Deepak Chahar, Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir
3:00 PM IST: Form guide (latest first)
Kings XI Punjab lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets, lost to SunRisers Hyderabad by 45 runs, lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore by 17 runs
Chennai Super Kings beat Delhi Capitals by 80 runs, lost to Mumbai Indians by 46 runs, beat SunRisers Hyderabad by six wickets
Squads:
Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Murali Vijay, Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Shorey, Chaitanya Bishnoi, Rituraj Gaikwad, Dwayne Bravo, Karn Sharma, Imran Tahir, Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell Santner, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Sharma, K M Asif, Deepak Chahar, N Jagadeesan, Scott Kuggeleijn.
Kings XI Punjab: Ravichandran Ashwin, K L Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Sarfaraz Khan, David Miller, Mandeep Singh, Sam Curran, Andrew Tye, Murugan Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Karun Nair, Moises Henriques, Varun Chakravarthi, Harpreet Brar, Simran Singh, Nicholas Pooran, Hardus Viljoen, Ankit Rajpoot, Arshdeep Singh, Darshan Nalkande, Agnivesh Ayachi.
