Ruturaj Gaikwad has been named as the MAN OF THE MATCH.
So, that's it from this game. Both Chennai and Punjab are done with this season, the latter because they lost the game today. But it is Super Sunday and the action continues. In a must-win duel, Kolkata and Rajasthan take on each other. Each side would be looking to get the better of the other badly. That will make it a promising clash to watch. Switch tabs to catch all our coverage of that game.
Earlier, after winning the toss, Chennai opted to bowl first. They put up a disciplined performance throughout but lost the plot in the death overs where Hooda bagged some crucial runs, along with a half ton to himself. However, those were not enough it seems as Chennai pulled off a spectacular win, led by Gaikwad with the bat again.
Punjab were left clueless and were gasping for breath with the ball. They needed wickets like Chennai had gotten earlier with the ball. But they could absolutely manage just the one. No amount of bowling changes worked for KL Rahul. They were a touch sloppy in the field as well, which further compounded their woes. Jordan managed the only wicket but he was also the most expensive among the lot. Ashwin was exceptional, so too was Shami but they needed wickets which they could not get. Bishnoi and Neesham were on the expensive side, the former being way too expensive.
Chennai may have lost the plot with the ball towards the end but did a splendid job with the bat. Du Plessis and Gaikwad, the opening pair, got them off to a great start before du Plessis fell unfortunately, when he was close to his half ton. But that was all Chennai lost, the pair of Gaikwad and Ambati Rayudu finished things off well. Rayudu played second fiddle while it was a Gaikwad show all along, again. His third 50 on the trot and what a way for Chennai to finish off their campaign, they are out but bow out with 3 big back-to-back wins.
Well, a comfortable win for Chennai in the end. They win by 9 wickets and disappointment all round for Punjab. You could see their owners were disappointed and are in disbelief that they have now been knocked out of the tournament. Unfortunately for Rahul, this is not his year, as Punjab's captain. 5 wins on the trot was the maximum he could manage before back-to-back losses putting Punjab out of contention for a playoffs spot.
Misfield and a single. And that will do it for Chennai! Full ball around off, Rayudu drives it to Neesham at cover-point. James dives and fumbles. The ball goes through and an easy run taken. CHENNAI WIN WITH 9 WICKETS IN HAND!
SCORES LEVEL! Tosses a very full ball on middle, Ruturaj Gaikwad drives it down to long on for a single.
Floated on middle, Ambati sweeps it to fine leg for one.
On middle, clipped to square leg for a single.
Floated around off, driven down to long on for a single. 150 up for Chennai.
Very full on middle, squeezed out to cover.
Outside off, punched to the left of sweeper cover for a couple.
BEATEN! Lovely from Shami. Fuller one outside off, inviting Gaikwad to drive. The young lad does so but fails to connect.
FOUR! Ruturaj gets into great position to play this shot. Short ball, he stands tall and pulls it over mid-wicket.
4 OFF LEG BYES! Short ball, Rutu looks to pull but misses. It was a pacy short ball, it comes off his helmet and goes over the leaping keeper's hands to the fine leg boundary.
Length ball on top of off, Rayudu taps it on the leg side and takes off for a single. However, Neesham, gets to the ball and looks to fire a throw to the bowler's end. Seeing that Ambati rushes in quickly. A single.
A single. Would have been close had the fielder hit at the non-striker's end though. Fullish on off and middle, Ambati taps it to cover and takes off for a quick single. The throw comes to the bowler's end but misses the stumps.
FOUR! Another great shot from Ambati Rayudu. Shimmies down the track and goes over the extra cover region and gets a boundary.
Full on leg, driven down to long on for a single.
Full and on off and middle, glanced to short mid-wicket.
Outside off, pushed in front of point for a single.
Low full toss outside off, driven to long off for a single.
Murugan Ashwin is done. Chris Jordan is back in the attack. 2-0-23-1 for him. Can he up the numbers in the last column?
On off, flicked to the leg side for a single.
FOUR! Gaikwad has showed a really calm head in this chase. That brings up the 50 for him as well. Three in a row! Floated around off, Ruturaj lofts it over the covers again, a boundary results.
Floats this on middle, clipped to mid-wicket for a single.
Around off, pushed to cover for a single.
FOUR! BEAUTIFUL! Floated full around off, Rutu comes down the track and lofts it elegantly over covers for a boundary.
Around off, pushed to short third man for a single.
Bishnoi to finish off. 3-0-27-0 for him.
On off, this is stroked to fine leg for a single.
DROPPED! KL Rahul misses to take an edge. Flatter ball outside off, Ambati looks to cut but gets an outside edge. It goes in and pops out of Rahul's gloves.
Tosses this around off, Rayudu comes down the track and strokes it to the right to the bowler, to the left of long on. Gets a couple.
Outside off, punched to point.
Flatter on off, knocked down to long on for a single.
Flat legbreak. Lands it around off, it pitches and breaks away, Rayudu cuts it firmly but the point fielder does well to stop it. Just the single.
DRINKS! Chennai are cruising and are well on their way to pick up Punjab on their way to the airport after this game. Just 41 needed off the final 6 overs. Stranger things have happened this season. Can Punjab turn this game around?
FOUR! The timing on that was exquisite. Full and slow outside off, Ruturaj waits for it patiently and guides it well in front of point. Pooran, at point, gives chase but the ball simply raced away to the fence. Chennai need 41 runs in 36 balls. Should be an easy task from here.
Short ball, swiveled and pulled well, to the left of fine leg. A couple.
Full and on off and middle, driven down the ground to long on for a single.
Outside off, Ambati looks to steer it down to third man but misses to connect.
Full and around off, blocked to the off side.
Overthrows. Don't have much to leak runs, Punjab! Slower ball on off, took an eternity to come to Gaikwad. He waits patiently and clips it to mid-wicket. They take two easily. The throw comes to the bowler's end but Pooran, who was standing there misses. It goes through to deep backward point and Chennai take one more. 3 in total.
James Neesham comes back to bowl. 2-0-16-0 are his numbers.
On the shorter side outside off, worked through the covers region for a single.
Flatter ball around off, this is worked on the off side for a single.
Outside off, punched to deep point for a single.
A single and that brings up the 100. Flatter ball on off, Ambati bunts this down to long on for a single. He wants two and comes back for the second but Gaikwad sends him back. The throw comes to the keeper's end, allowing Ambati to make it back in safely.
A flat wrong 'un outside off, Rayudu looks to play at it but misses.
Tossed up around off, driven to cover.
Murugan Ashwin is back in the attack. 2-0-8-0 so far for him.
Tosses this on middle from round the wicket, Bahubali glances it to square leg and takes one.
Flatter on off, tucked to long on for a single.
Shortish ball on off, Ambati gets down and sweeps it to deep backward square leg. Gets the single.
FOUR! Nice shot from Rayudu. On the shorter side outside off, he cuts it firmly, to the right of point and bags a boundary.
Flatter on off, this is clipped to the leg side for a single.
On middle, this is worked to mid-wicket for a single.
WIDE! Slips one down the leg side, Rayudu looks to play at it but misses.
Full and outside off, Ambati steers it to the right of short third man. The fielder puts in a good stop. Just the single.
Leading edge but safe. A couple as well. Full on off, Rayudu looks to flick but gets a leading edge. It goes safely and seems to be racing away to the backward point boundary. But Neesham runs in and dives and stops it. Just a couple.
Full and well outside off, Rutu opens the face of his bat and guides it to deep point. A single.
Slow shortish ball on off, Rayudu does not time his pull shot well at all. It goes through the carpet to mid-wicket for a single.
Short ball, Rayudu ducks under it.
Fullish on off, blocked to the off side.
Mohammed Shami is back to bowl. 2-0-17-0 so far for him.
Fullish on off, Ruturaj closes the face of his bat to glance it in front of square on the leg side. Takes a couple.
Ambati Rayudu comes out to the middle now.
OUT! TAKEN! KL Rahul completes the catch. Faf du Plessis found the spot to his pleasure a lot of times earlier on. Not this time though. It was a slower ball on middle, around 113 kph, Faf moves to the off side and looks to lap it over fine leg. Rahul sees that and he moves to his left, anticipating a catch of sorts. Faf laps it but does not get the timing as the ball was a slower one. Rahul moves to his left and completes a simple catch. Had it been a 131 kph delivery, maybe the batsman would have got some runs by stroking it well to the fine leg region.
Full on middle, glanced to deep mid-wicket. A couple.
Fullish on off, flicked to deep square leg for a brace.
FOUR! He has gone through with the shot, not timed that properly but still bags a boundary. Slightly overpitched outside off, Faf looks to go big over covers. He does not time it that well but still gets it over the infield and it races away for a boundary.
On off, this is wristed to the deep square leg region for two.
Chris Jordan is back in the attack. 1-0-11-0 so far.
Tosses the legbreak around off, swept away to deep square leg for a single.
Floated around off, this one is pushed back to the bowler.
Outside off, Faf looks to cut but does not connect. He appeals for a caught behind though, to no avail.
On the shorter side on middle and off, pushed down to long on for a single.
Around off, flat, blocked to the off side.
Flatter on off, this is worked on the leg side for a single.
FOUR! And the salt is rubbed into the wounds. Tossed up outside off, this is guided nicely through backward point for a boundary.
NOT OUT! KL Rahul cannot believe it. Flatter ball outside off, Gaikwad cuts it. It is uppish and slightly ahead of Mandeep at point. Mandeep dives there and takes it and Punjab start celebrating. But the on-field umpire wants to have a look. It is referred upstairs. The third umpire has a look and from the replays he deems that as Mandeep takes the catch and falls onto the ground, the ball makes contact with the ground. So, not out.
Is that a catch? Has that been taken cleanly? The soft signal is out. Looks like the ball has touched the ground as Mandeep takes it. NOT OUT!
Tossed up on off, swept to deep square leg for a single.
Full and outside off, stroked uppishly but safely, ahead of the sweeper cover fielder. A single.
This time it is flatter and he cuts but finds point. A slight fumble there and a single is sneaked in.
The googly, tossed up outside off, Faf looks to cut it but misses comepletely.
DRINKS! Chennai are motoring like anything here. One wonders where has this form been all along! With 10 wickets in hand, they need just 92 runs in 78 balls. Should be an easy prospect for them, if they maintain the momentum going. Punjab, on the other hand, need wickets thick and fast. They would be hoping that this break spoils Chennai's momentum.
Short and spinning away. Du Plessis punches it to cover and keeps the strike.
Tossed up on off, Gaikwad strokes it through cover and gets to the other end.
On the pads, Faf turns it to the leg side for one.
NOT OUT! There is a clear gap between bat and pad. The ball has kissed the pad and not the bat. Du Plessis survives and Punjab's search for a wicket continues. Darted on the leg side, Faf looks to tickle it fine down the leg side but the ball kisses something and goes straight into the mitts off Rahul. Punjab players appeal and the umpire raises his finger. Du Plessis reviews it straightaway and the replay shows that the ball kisses his pad.
Review time. Faf has been adjudged out for a caught behind but he has pted to take the review straightaway.
Short, Ruturaj cuts it to point for one.
Murugan starts with a shorter one outside off. Faf punches it to sweeper cover for one.
On the pads, Gaikwad flicks it to mid-wicket. Good Powerplay for Chennai. They are 57/0 at the end of 6!
Some footballing skills from Shami sees him save a run for his side. On the pads, Faf looks to flick but misses. The ball kisses his thigh pad and runs down towards the fine leg fence. Shami gives it a chase and stops it before the ropes with his boot.
Shorter on off, Faf punches it but finds cover.
Appeal but turned down by the umpire. Googly on middle and it turns in. Faf looks to flick but misses and gets hit on the pad. Bishnoi is confident but the umpire is not in agreement. Rahul opts not to review.
SIX! Now goes up and oover! Pressure on Bishnoi! Flighted around off, du Plessis lofts it over extra cover for a biggie.