San Francisco Frontiers - Iyer guides Punjab past Chennai to go top of IPL

Put in, Chennai overcame the second-over dismissal of Sanju Samson, caught behind off Xavier Bartlett, to post a competitive 209-5 on a good batting strip at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Punjab responded with 210-5, a record-extending ninth time they had successfully chased a target in excess of 200 in the IPL.

Ayush Mhatre, India’s under-19 World Cup-winning captain, provided the early momentum for Chennai with a blazing 73 off 43 deliveries, Sarfaraz Khan bossed the middle overs with a 12-ball 32 and the final kick came from Shivam Dube, 14 from 14 at one stage before finishing unbeaten on 45 off 27.

Mhatre took five deliveries to get off the mark but once he found his bearings, he peppered the ground with a bouquet of delectable fours and powerful sixes.

Fortunate to be dropped on 59 and 67, both times off seasoned leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal who surprisingly bowled only three overs, he otherwise hardly put a foot wrong while dominating a second-wicket stand of 96 with his captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Punjab fought back with the wickets of Gaikwad, Mhatre and Kartik Sharma in quick succession but Sarfaraz uncorked a cheeky cameo and Dube cut loose towards the end, largely responsible for 64 runs flowing off the last five overs.

Fresh off a three-wicket win against Gujarat Titans, Punjab attacked the target furiously through Priyansh Arya, the left-handed opener who unleashed a flurry of fours and sixes.

Prabhsimran Singh too played his part in an opening stand worth 61, though it was Arya who bossed the early exchanges while smashing three fours and four sixes in an 11-ball 39.

Punjab continued to string together useful partnerships. Prabhsimran and Cooper Connolly put on 34 for the second wicket, after which Connolly helped Shreyas add 32, but when the Australian was caught off an Anshul Kamboj full toss, Punjab still needed 83 off 49 deliveries.

That was the cue for Shreyas to announce himself. The captain picked off leg-spinner Rahul Chahar for two sixes in the 13th over and followed it up with a four and six off New Zealand pacer Matt Henry in the 15th to bring up his fifty in just 26 deliveries.

Marcus Stoinis and Shashank Singh steered Punjab home with eight balls to spare, consigning Chennai to a second successive defeat.

B.Ramirez--SFF