NEW DELHI: Three-time champions Chennai Super Kings qualified for the Indian Premier League playoffs after beating Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets on Thursday. They became officially the first team to seal a top four berth.
This result also meant that SRH were mathematically knocked out of the playoff race and became officially the first team to be eliminated this year.
Here are the key highlights from the match:
SUNRISERS HYDERABAD INNINGS:
Jason Roy disappointed after a sparkling debut: After an impressive debut (60 off 42) against the Rajasthan Royals, SRH opener Jason Roy, who was brought into the team in place of David Warner, failed to lay a solid foundation for his team, falling for just 2. Roy danced down the track to Josh Hazlewood, but got a feather edge and the ball went straight into MS Dhoni’s gloves. The score at that time read 23-1.

Jason Roy
Bravo and Hazlewood exposed Sunrisers weak batting order: CSK allrounder Dwayne Bravo and Josh Hazlewood tightened the noose around the SRH batsmen from the word go. The duo claimed as many as five wickets between them to restrict SRH to a meagre 134/7 in their allotted 20 overs. Hazlewood claimed three wickets – Jason Roy, Abhishek Verma, and Abdul Samad, conceding 24 runs in 4 overs, while Bravo returned figures of 2 for 17 in 4 overs. Bravo claimed the prized wicket of Kane Williamson and that of the young Priyam Garg. SRH lost half their side with just 109 runs on the board.
Saha failed to carry on after settling in: Wriddhiman Saha looked in sublime touch for SRH. He was the lone bright spark in the SRH batting line up on Thursday. Saha played some delightful shots in his 46-ball 44 run knock, but failed to get good support from the other end.

Wriddhiman Saha (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)
When Saha reached 44, he threw his wicket away and fell to Jadeja in the 13th over. SRH were hoping Saha would accelerate the run-rate in the second half, but that didn’t happen. Saha, who smashed two sixes and one four in his 46-ball stay, was the highest scorer for SRH against CSK. When he fell, the scoreboard read 74-4 in 12.3 overs. SRH managed to score just 60 more runs in the reamining 45 deliveries to reach 134-7.

Wriddhiman Saha
CHENNAI SUPER KINGS INNINGS:
Gaikwad & du Plessis provided CSK an excellent start: Chasing a modest 135-run target, CSK openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis gave their team a flying start. The duo put on 75 runs for the opening wicket and set the tone for CSK who became the first team to qualify for the playoffs. Gaikwad scored a fine 45 off 35 balls, including 4 boundaries and 2 sixes, while Du Plessis smashed a 36-ball 41 and hammered 3 fours and 2 sixes in his knock. By the time Gaikwad fell in the 11th over, CSK had already reached 75.

Ruturaj Gaikwad

Faf du Plessis
Jason Holder’s double-wicket over gave Sunrisers some hope: SRH all-rounder Jason Holder gave a glimmer of hope to the SRH team and fans when he dismissed well set opener Du Plessis (41) and then sent Suresh Raina back cheaply (2) in the same over. Holder had earlier dismissed Gaikwad for 45. He eventually finished with figures of 3-27. Though it was eventually too little too late for SRH to make a comeback after CSK’s brilliant start, these wickets did slow CSK down. By the time Raina fell in the 16th over, CSK were at 107 and needed 28 runs more in 27 balls.

Jason Holder (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)
The experienced Dhoni & Rayudu steered Chennai into the playoffs: From 75 for no loss, CSK slipped to 108-4. But Ambati Rayudu (17 not out) and skipper MS Dhoni (14 not out) made sure there were no more stutters, with a 31-run stand-off 23 balls to take CSK into the playoffs.

MS Dhoni (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)
With 2 needed off the last 3 balls, Dhoni opened up his stance and heaved Siddarth Kaul into the deep midwicket stands in trademark style for a maximum to seal a win and a playoff berth for CSK, who are eyeing their fourth IPL title.