Ambati Rayudu’s power-packed performance went down the drain as Chennai Super Kings lost their 6th match of the IPL 2022 season. Their opponents, Punjab who ended their 2-match losing streak registered a resounding 11-run victory at the Wankhede stadium on Monday.
Chennai yet again suffered due to the failure of their top-order. Wickets fell regularly and it seemed the defending champions weren’t in the game. However, a fierce fight by Ambati Rayudu of 78 in 39 balls gave hope to the Ravindra Jadeja led-side. The team couldn’t build on Rayudu’s momentum after Kagiso Rabada got him out. While Dhoni smashed a couple of boundaries and inched closer to the target, Rishi Dhawan removed him in the last over, restricting CSK to 176/6.
Also Read IPL 2022: Krunal Pandya kisses Pollard goodbye!
Earlier, after being sent in to bat first, Shikhar Dhawan stepped forward alongside Bhanuka Rajapaksa for Punjab after they lost their skipper, Mayank Agarwal’s wicket early in the powerplay. While Dhawan scored an unbeaten 88 in 59 balls, Rajapaksa supported him with 42(32) before losing his wicket to Dwayne Bravo. Their 110-run stand and a 19(7) run cameo by Liam Livingstone helped Punjab post a decent 187 run total.