CSK wins against Kolkatta convincingly

Suresh Raina hammered a 24-ball fifty and Ravichandran Ashwin ran through Kolkata Knight Riders’ top-order to hand over an easy win to Chennai Super Kings at the M A Chidambaram stadium here.

Raina (78 off 39 deliveries) and Murali Vijay (50 off 40 balls) remained unbeaten as MS Dhoni’s men chased down a modest total of 139 with nine wickets in hand in 13.3 overs.

Raina was in his element as he dominated the Kolkata bowlers from the word go. He smashed 11 fours and three hits over the ropes as the opposition looked helpless in the face of his brutal attack.

Chris Gayle gave Ganguly early hope by dismissing Matthew Hayden for naught but unfortunately for KKR, that was the only wicket to fall in the run chase.

Earlier, Ravichandran Ashwin devastated Kolkata Knight Riders’ top order getting all the big guns - Chris Gayle (7), Brendon McCullum (0) and David Hussey (0) - as the visitors failed to seize the initiative after winning the toss and electing to bat first.

Kolkata lost four wickets at a score of 19 within the fifth over with Ashwin (3/16) coming up with a dream spell.

Angelo Mathews survived Ashwin’s hat-trick ball to score an important innings of 48 to help the Kolkata Knight Riders recover after being reduced to 19-4.

Chris Gayle was the first player dismissed as the game got off to an unbelievable start. Having just hit spinner Ashwin for a six Gayle (7) came down the wicket only to miss the delivery and was stumped by MS Dhoni.

Having survived a plumb LBW shout, Brendon McCullum (0) was the next to go after he was caught by Muttiah Muralidaran.

SRK’s boys were dealt a crucial blow when in-form skipper Sourav Ganguly was adjudged LBW in the second over of Bollinger.

It was not over for Ashwin who returned to claim the wicket of David Hussey (0) stumped by Dhoni to claim his third wicket of the innings and set up a hat trick ball.

The delivery to Mathews was perfect and the batsman could only glove the ball through to short leg but unbelievably it was given not out by umpire Simon Taufel.

Mathews stitched an important partnership of 73 runs with Manoj Tiwary (27) to give the Knight Riders some hope before Suresh Raina struck to remove Tiwary.

Wriddhiman Saha lasted only two balls before he was brilliantly stumped by Dhoni as the Kinght Roders slumped to 98-6 in the space of 8 balls.

Laxmi Shukla enjoyed a cameo of 17 before Mathews’ innings came to an end in the 19th over as the Knight Riders reached 139-8.