Punjab shock Chennai, stay in play-offs race

Skipper Adam Gilchrist produced a fine all-round show to guide Kings XI Punjab to a six-wicket victory over defending champions Chennai Super Kings and keep alive their chances of advancing to the play-offs in the Indian Premier League, in Dharamsala, on Thursday.

Returning to the team after a brief lay-off due to a hamstring injury, Gilchrist led Kings XI from the front, snapping fours catches and then guiding the home team's chase with an unbeaten 64 that came off just 46 balls.

- Scorecard

Chasing a paltry 120 for seven, Kings XI rode on Gilchrist's whirlwind innings to romp home with 21 balls to spare.

Apart from Gilchrist, Mandeep Singh (24 off 21) made a useful contribution at the top.

For CSK, Dwayne Bravo picked two wickets for 18 runs, while Ben Hilfenhaus (1/20) and Albie Morkel (1/28) scalped a wicket each.

Earlier, opting to bowl, Kings XI pacers produced a disciplined effort to restrict the defending champions to 120 for 7.

On a bouncy HPCA Stadium pitch, Praveen Kumar (2/18), Parvinder Awana (2/12) and Azhar Mahmood (2/28) shared six wickets between them, while Ryan Harris (1/24) accounted for the other Chennai batsman.

Bravo played an important 43-ball 46-run knock in the middle, during which he struck two fours and three sixes, to take CSK to the 120-run mark.

With this defeat CSK ended their league engagements with 17 points from 16 games and will have to wait for the outcome of the remaining league games to know their fate.

Kings XI, on the other hand, will have to win their last game against table toppers Delhi Daredevils at Dharamsala on Saturday to stay in the hunt.

Gilchrist and Mandeep gave Kings a flying start in the run chase, sharing 51 runs off 41 balls for the opening stand before two quick wickets brought CSK back into the game.

Mandeep was the first to depart, bowled by Morkel in the seventh over. CSK struck again an over later when Bravo had Nitin Saini, caught by wicket-keeper Dhoni.

Bravo scalped his second victim of the day soon in the form of in-form David Hussey, who scored a run-a-ball nine, before top-edging a bouncy delivery to Dhoni.

Gilchrist seemed in ominous form and together with Siddharth Chitnis (11) added a quickfire 45 runs off 29 balls for the fourth wicket to take Kings XI to the brink of victory.

Gilchrist displayed his complete array of shots and took Yo Mahesh for special treatment, smashing the bowler for two fours and as many sixes to score 22 runs off the 15th over.

Even though Hilfenhaus dismissed Chitnis in the next over, victory was just a formality for Kings XI from there on and Gilchrist ensured it without any further damage in the company of Azhar Mahmood (9).

Earlier, sent in to bat, CSK lost both their openers – Murali Vijay (10) and Mike Hussey -- early.

Praveen accounted for both the batsmen in consecutive overs in identical fashion. Both Vijay and Hussey edged simple catches to Gilchrist.

Suresh Raina (17 off 13) got a life on two when Chawla dropped a regulation catch at first slip off Praveen.

The missed chance proved little costly for Kings XI as Raina clobbered Mahmood for back-to-back sixes in the next over before the bowler had his revenge a ball later.

Much to the relief of Chawla, Raina's short little burst came to an end when he edged Mahmood to Gilchrist.

CSK captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni also failed to live up to his reputation and was dismissed for six, caught by Nitin Saini at third man off Awana as CSK slumped to 46 for four.

Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja (13) tried hard to resurrect the CSK innings with a 32-run fifth wicket stand before the later was sent packing by Awana.

Bravo was instrumental in another crucial partnership, a 34-run sixth-wicket stand with Albie Morkel (14 off 8) to help CSK's cause to some extent.