A blistering half-century by young South African sensation Dewald Brevis and a composed finishing act from the ever-reliable MS Dhoni helped Chennai Super Kings (CSK) snatch a thrilling victory against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday, dealing a massive blow to the hosts’ already-dwindling playoff hopes.
In what began as a horror start for CSK—with both openers departing for ducks—the visitors looked set for a collapse when they slipped to 60/5. However, the tide turned when Brevis, known for his fearless strokeplay, took charge. Smashing 30 runs off a single over from Vaibhav Arora, Brevis not only revived the innings but shifted momentum entirely in CSK’s favour.
Earlier, CSK’s chase had shown flashes of brilliance from Urvil Patel, who lived up to his growing reputation with a quick-fire knock. But his dismissal triggered a mini-collapse, and it was Brevis’ counterattack that proved pivotal in stabilizing the innings.
Despite a couple of nervy moments late in the chase—including two wickets in the penultimate over—CSK remained unfazed, thanks to Shivam Dube’s steady hand and the calming presence of Dhoni. With the asking rate under control and nerves of steel, Dhoni once again proved why he’s one of the finest finishers in the game. A trademark six in the final over sealed the deal before Anshul Kamboj applied the finishing touches.
Earlier, in the first innings a balanced team effort led by Ajinkya Rahane’s composed 48 and explosive cameos from Andre Russell and Manish Pandey helped Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) put up a competitive total of 179/6 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Eden Gardens on Wednesday.
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel, Devon Conway, Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravichandran Ashwin, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana
Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Moeen Ali, Ramandeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy
