Three-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings registered a stupendous 10-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab in Dubai on October 4. In reply to Punjab’s 178/4, the men in yellow made 181/0 proving critics wrong.

Going by Chennai’s recent performances in chases, the match was not expected to go in its favour but CSK openers gave a rousing powerplay. Veterans Shane Watson (83 not out off 53 balls) and Faf du Plessis (83 off 53) produced the best first wicket partnership in IPL 2020 to script a magnificent victory for CSK, which had suffered a string of losses after the first win in this season.

Poor bowling added to Punjab’s woes as the Watson-Du Plessis partnership went berserk. Mohammad Shami and Sheldon Cottrell were unable to replicate their success in the opening spell and, except Ravi Bishnoi (yielding only 33 runs in his 4 overs), none of the Punjab bowlers looked like they could arrest the onslaught.

Punjab, which won the toss and elected to bat, made 178 runs helped by skipper KL Rahul’s 63 (52 balls) and Nicholas Pooran’s (33 off 17). However, Shardul Thakur’s brilliant bowling in the 18th over, when he took out Rahul and Pooran off successive deliveries, helped Chennai limit the KXIP total.

The Player of the Match title went to 39-year-old Shane Watson, who hit 11 boundaries and three sixes.

With a host of 30-plus players –, M.S. Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Murali Vijay, Kedar Jadhav and Ambati Rayudu – the CSK team has been nicknamed the ‘Dad’s army’.

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At the inaugural match in the Abu Dhabi Cricket Stadium on September 19, Chennai Super Kings beat defending champion Mumbai Indians by five wickets with four balls to spare.

At 6 pm, Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister for Tolerance and chairman of ECB, declared the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League, IPL 2020, open.

There were no crowds, cheerleaders or flamethrowers but the aura of a regular exciting match was recreated with the spectator noise and blaring trumpets.

MS Dhoni’s team avenged last year’s loss in the IPL final with a thumping 166/5 victory. After winning toss, CSK sent MI to bat and restricted it to 162/9 in 20 overs.

Ambati Rayudu was adjudged man of the match for his brilliant 71 off 48 balls. His partnership with Faf du Plessis, who remained unbeaten on 58 off 44 balls, saved CSK after the early loss of two wickets.

Left-hander Saurabh Tiwary top scored for the Mumbai Indians with 42 from 31 deliveries, before du Plessis caught him. Quinton de Kock scored a brilliant 33 off 20 balls. Lungi Ngidi was CSK’s most successful bowler with 3/38.

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