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When Sam Billings walked out to the middle, the game looked to be slipping away from Chennai Super Kings' grasp.
Playing their first game in two years on their home ground, CSK were reduced to 101/3 in 11.3 overs following Suresh Raina's dismissal for 14.
The Englishman was in no mood to give up, reviving CSK with a whirlwind 56 from 23 balls.
With Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni struggling to get going -- MSD made a sedate 25 from 28 balls -- it was left to Billings to change the script with his brilliant strokeplay.
He slammed compatriot Tom Curran for a couple of sixes in the 15th over after he was dropped by Robin Uthappa, then repeated the dose on Andre Russell a few overs later with another couple of sixes.
When he walked into bat in the 12th over, CSK needed 102 from 51 balls at 12 per over.
Billings' attack left the hosts with the much easier task of scoring 19 from 8 balls for victory, which was achieved by Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo in the final over.