|| CF DESK ||

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bounced back to winning ways with a commanding 78-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The hosts showed their dominance on their home turf, displaying a potent mix of batting prowess and incisive bowling that left SRH reeling.

After being invited to bat first, CSK’s innings was spearheaded by captain Ruturaj Gaikwad's masterful 98, setting the tone for a high-scoring total. Daryl Mitchell provided a steady supporting role with a solid half-century, his first in IPL 2024. As the innings progressed, Shivam Dube's explosive hitting helped propel CSK to a formidable total of 214.

Despite SRH's confidence in their batting lineup, the chase faltered early. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma started aggressively, but CSK struck back in the second over, with Tushar Deshpande claiming two crucial wickets: Head, who misjudged a shot over the off-side boundary, and Anmolpreet Singh, who edged his first ball to cover after being introduced as the Impact Player.

Deshpande continued his impressive spell, removing Abhishek Sharma in the fifth over, leaving SRH in a precarious position. Aiden Markram and Nitish Reddy attempted to stabilize the innings, but the required run rate continued to climb. Their partnership ended when Ravindra Jadeja’s deceptive short delivery resulted in a top-edge from Reddy, caught by MS Dhoni behind the stumps.

The SRH innings never regained momentum as wickets fell at regular intervals. Matheesha Pathirana's accurate yorkers proved crucial, dismissing Markram in the 11th over. The CSK bowlers maintained tight lines and lengths, keeping SRH under constant pressure.

Deshpande emerged as the standout bowler, taking four wickets in total, with his early breakthroughs setting the tone for CSK's dominance. Pathirana's two wickets in the middle overs further tightened CSK's grip on the game.

Mustafizur Rahman sealed the deal, picking up two wickets for 19 runs in just 2.5 overs, helping to bowl out SRH for 134—their lowest total of the season.

Mustafizur's performance took his wicket tally to 14, tying him for the tournament's top spot with Harshal Patel and Jasprit Bumrah. With one more game against Punjab Kings before he returns to Bangladesh for national duty, Mustafizur will have a chance to end his IPL stint on a high note.