Images from Thursday's Indian Premier League match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings, in Dubai.
Ravindra Jadeja's late assault, after a splendid knock from opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, earned Chennai Super Kings a six-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League match in Dubai on Thursday.
Chasing 173 for victory, Gaikwad gave Chennai Super Kings a solid start and put them high in the saddle with an attacking 72 off 53 deliveries before departing in the 18th over with the score 140 for 4.
But his exit hardly mattered as, with 10 needed off the final over, Jadeja (31 not out off 11 balls) hit young Kamlesh Nagarkoti for back-to-back sixes off the last two deliveries to clinch a memorable victory for out-of-the-reckoning Super Kings and keep the Knight Riders waiting for a place in the play-offs.
By virtue of Thursday's result Mumbai Indians became first team to qualify for the play-offs.
Gaikwad played some delightful shots during the course of his knock and a few audacious ones, included a sweep off pacer Lockie Ferguson.
The Super Kings scored 44 runs in the powerplay overs, with Gaikwad outdoing veteran Shane Watson.
His straight six off spinner Varun Chakravarthy was the best shot of his classy innings.
Watson (14), who came into the side for Faf du Plessis, struggled to get going before an attempt to hit his way out gave Chakravarthy his first wicket.
Kolkata's ploy to give a bowl to their batting star Nitish Rana, who had earlier in the match scored 87 off 61, proved costly as Ambati Rayudu (38 off 20) hit him for three boundaries in a 16-run 10th over.
Gaikwad and Rayudu (38) put up a 68-run partnership before the latter was dismissed going for a big shot off Pat Cummins.
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who walked in at No.4 at the fall of Rayudu, fell to mystery spinner Chakravarthy for the second time in the tournament. His attempt to make room and play a forceful shot saw him play all over the delivery and lose his stumps.
Earlier, Rana continued from where he left off in the match against Delhi Capitals last Saturday, scoring another breezy fifty, which powered Kolkata Knight Riders to 172 for 5.
Promoted to open the innings against Delhi Capitals, he scored 81 off 53 balls as the Knight Riders ended up on the winning side.
On Thursday, he put aside the ignominy of getting out for a duck against Kings XI Punjab in the previous match as he again opened the innings and demolished the Chennai Super Kings bowlers with a blistering 87 off 61 balls, which included four sixes and ten fours.
Later, cameos from skipper Eoin Morgan (15 off 12) and Dinesh Karthik (21 not out off 10) helped Kolkata Knight Riders to put up a competitive total.
The Super Kings, who pulled things back in the middle overs after a fine start from Knight Riders openers Rana and Shubman Gill (26 off 17), leaked 66 runs in the last five overs.
Lungi Ngidi (2/34) was the best Chennai Super Kings bowler while Sam Curran also bowled well early on.
The Knight Riders innings was built largely on Rana's knock.
The southpaw mixed caution with aggression and overcame a sluggish period in the middle overs with some lovely shots.
He hit three consecutive sixes off Karn Sharma in the 16th over to up the ante as Kolkata looked for quick runs.
Sent in to bat, they got off to a solid start, Gill and Rana putting on 53 runs for the first wicket.
Gill looked in good touch and hit four boundaries before falling to leggie Sharma.
Sunil Narine (7), sent in at number three, smashed the second ball for a six but fell four balls later, unable to clear a Mitchell Santner delivery, Ravindra Jadeja taking a well-judged catch.
The Knight Riders decided to send in Rinku Singh, who was included in the side for the first time this season, ahead of Morgan at number four, but all he could do was score 11 off as many deliveries.
Thanks to good contributions from Morgan and Karthik Kolkata were able to put up a challenging total.
