IPL 2020: CSK vs KKR, Match 21 Highlights: Rahul Tripathi, bowlers hand Knight Riders an incredible win

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Abu Dhabi, Oct 7: Despite starting strongly in the run chase, Chennai Super Kings batsmen faltered in the middle overs as Kolkata Knight Riders made a terrific comeback to defeat CSK by 10 runs in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 match here on Wednesday (October 7).

Defending a total of 167, KKR bowlers scripted a stunning comeback in the second half of the innings and restricted CSK to 157/5. Chennai made a mess out of their batting in the middle overs as they gifted the match on a platter to their opponents.

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Shane Watson slammed his second consecutive half-century of the tournament but it went in vain as Dhoni and rest of the batsmen failed to overhaul the target. Kedar Jadhav once again disappointed with the bat after Dhoni was cleaned up for 12 by Varun Chakravarthy. After Dhoni's dismissal, the asking rate kept mounting and KKR bowlers kept things tight to deny CSK certain win.

Speaking about the loss, Dhoni said the batsmen let bowlers down as they failed to score freely in the middle overs.

"The bowlers did a very good job. But the batsmen let the bowlers down. There were hardly any boundaries in the final few overs, so we need to be innovative at the end when they are continuously hitting a back of a length. That's where we need to adapt better with the bat and I don't think we did that," Dhoni said.

After Faf du Plessis (17) was dismissed in the power-play, Watson (50) and Ambati Rayudu (30) revived CSK in the run chase with their gritty 69-run stand. But Rayudu and Watson's dismissals in consecutive overs put the break on the flow of runs and KKR bowlers kept tightening the noose around their opponents and scripted an improbable win.

Earlier, Shardul Thakur gave CSK the first breakthrough after KKR's new opening duo of Shubman Gill and Rahul Tripathi gave them a steady start in the power-play. Tripathi looked in sublime touch as he attacked CSK bowlers from the word go. However, Gill failed to impress as he was dismissed by Thakur in his first over and KKR lost their first wicket in the fifth over.

However, KKR brought up their fifty in the sixth over itself, thanks to Tripathi's big hits. Nitish Rana (9) was dismissed by Karn Sharma while trying to hit the leg-spinner against the spin and Ravindra Jadeja took a simple catch at long-on. KKR lost their second wicket for 70 in the 9th over.

Tripathi made a statement as he brought up his fifth half-century (32 balls) with a boundary off Dwayne Bravo. He was back to his favourite position and delivered immediately.

KKR's decision to send Sunil Narine at number four didn't pay off as the West Indies all-rounder was dismissed for 17. Narine hit Karn Sharma for a maximum over mid-on but failed to connect and a brilliant tag-team catch between Ravindra Jadeja and Faf du Plessis gave CSK their third success.

Wicket! Sam Curran gets rid of his national team's captain Eoin Morgan (7) with a bouncer. Morgan edged it and MSD caught it behind the stumps. Kolkata lost their fourth wicket on the last ball of the 14th over. Dhoni then introduced Thakur in the 16th over and the right-arm pacer dismissed the big fish in Andre Russell cheaply. Russell (2) was surprised by the short-pitched bouncer from the pacer and edged it, to be touched comfortably by Dhoni. KKR lost their fifth wicket for 128.

Rahul Tripathi's innings came to an end on 81 as he tried to guide the delivery from Bravo but found Shane Watson at slip. Rest of the KKR batsmen failed to finish it with a flourish in the death overs.