Afghan spinner Noor Ahmad put up an impressive performance, taking 3 wickets for 21 runs, as Chennai Super Kings secured their second consecutive win in the IPL by defeating Kolkata Knight Riders by 32 runs. Chennai, a five-time champion, set a target of 192-5 with contributions from Sanju Samson (48) and Dewald Brevis (41) at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.
Noor Ahmad’s left-arm wrist spin wreaked havoc on Kolkata, restricting them to 160-7 as they suffered their fifth consecutive loss. Noor expressed his confidence and commitment to continue contributing to his team’s success.
Kolkata, at the bottom of the table with one point from a washed-out match, struggled in their chase losing early wickets, including Finn Allen and Sunil Narine. Noor’s crucial dismissals of Ajinkya Rahane and Cameron Green in successive balls put Kolkata in a tough spot, although the hat-trick was averted by Rinku Singh.
Despite efforts from Rovman Powell (31 not out) and Ramandeep Singh (35), Kolkata fell short as they could not maintain the required run rate. Chennai, who had a rough start to the season with three losses, have now climbed to eighth place with consecutive wins.
Chennai is eagerly awaiting the return of M.S. Dhoni, who is recovering from injury and has yet to play in this season. Sanju Samson’s quick start, Ayush Mhatre’s aggressive 38 off 17 balls, and valuable contributions from Brevis and Sarfaraz Khan helped Chennai set a challenging total against Kolkata. Kolkata’s skipper, Ajinkya Rahane, emphasized the importance of staying positive and maintaining self-belief despite their tough run in the tournament.
