Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bowler Noor Ahmad expressed his happiness with the team’s victory against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on Wednesday and his own bowling performance. He highlighted his focus on the team rather than individual accolades. He also mentioned his satisfaction with taking Raghuvanshi’s wicket and his strategy of using length effectively. “It was a super win. Really happy with the work we did as a team, happy with my bowling and also with Dewald Brevis. I did not keep thinking about the leading wicket-taker or the Purple cap, wanted to do well for my team, that’s how it works for me. The nick from Raghuvanshi is the one I liked. Just try to use the length well and that’s what works for me,” Noor Ahmad said in the post match presentation.
Noor Ahmad grabbed four wickets, and was the pick of the bowlers for CSK vs KKR, he was named Player of the match for his brilliant display for bowling.
After winning the toss, KKR opted to bat first. A second wicket 58-run stand between skipper Ajinkya Rahane (48 in 33 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and Sunil Narine (26 in 17 balls, with four boundaries and a six) propelled KKR forward with a fine run-rate.
After that, knocks from Andre Russell (38 in 21 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes) and Manish Pandey (36* in 28 balls, with a four and six) helped KKR reach 179/6 in their 20 overs.
Noor Ahmed (4/31) topped the bowling charts for CSK while Anshul Kambhoj and Ravindra Jadeja got a piece each.
In the run-chase, CSK was reduced to 60/5 in 5.2 overs. A counter-attacking 51 from Dewald Brevis (in 25 balls, with four fours and four sixes) and his 67-run stand with Shivam Dube brought back some momentum to Men in Yellow. Dube (45 in 40 balls, with two fours and three sixes) continued being the aggressor in his 43-run partnership with skipper MS Dhoni, taking CSK to the brink of a win.
However, in a twist, Vaibhav Arora got both Dube and Noor Ahmed in the penultimate over, leaving CSK with eight to get in final over, with two wickets left.
Dhoni (17* in 18 balls, with a six) pulled off the finish fans wanted from him, tonking Andre Russell for a six on first ball of the final over and let Anshul hit the winning runs. CSK finished at 183/8 in 19.4 overs, getting their third win of the season.
Vaibhav Arora leaked runs, but was the pick of the bowlers for KKR with 3/48 in three overs. Varun Chakravarthy (2/18) and Harshit Rana (2/43) were also among the wicket-takers for KKR.
With three wins and nine losses, CSK still stays at the bottom of the points table. KKR currently has 11 points, with five wins, six losses and a no result in 12 matches. Their playoff chances have taken a serious hit as they sit at the sixth spot.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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