Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings 41th T20 Match – Result, Scorecard

We are all set to begin. The umpires have made their way out in the middle. Chennai players are seen in a huddle, near the ropes. Shikhar Dhawan and the impact player, Prabhsimran Singh are the openers for Punjab. Akash Singh will start with the ball. Here we go…

… The Run Chase …

Right then, Chennai have posted a mammoth total of 200 runs on the board. They will be hoping for their bowlers to defend it. For Punjab, the onus is on their batters to put up a solid stand and chase this down. Which side will come out on top? Let's find out together. Chase coming up shortly…

Devon Conway is in for a quick chat. He says it is a good wicket but it behaves a bit differently at times and one needs to be cautious. Ends by saying that he feels great and they will look to win this game.

Punjab were under the pump right from the word go. They failed to get wickets at the start and that is what hurt them. Their bowlers leaked runs. Arshdeep Singh, Rahul Chahar, Sam Curran and Sikandar Raza picked up one wicket each. They will be hoping for their batters to turn things around now.

Well, well, what a performance this has been from Chennai and Conway in particular. They were off to a flying start but lost Ruturaj Gaikwad halfway through their innings. Shivam Dube then joined hands with Conway and played his cameo but fell down for a slower delivery from Arshdeep. Devon Conway kept on batting and scored an unbeaten 92. Not to forget the two maximums at the end from MS Dhoni which made Chennai reach a mammoth 200-run mark!

Sam Curran to MS Dhoni, SIX! BANG! MS Dhoni with a trademark finish and the crowd goes wild. Sam Curran looks for the yorker but ends up serving a low full toss on the legs. Dhoni clears the front leg and whacks it over the mid-wicket fence for a biggie. Chennai finish with a bog score of 200/4 on the board!

Sam Curran to MS Dhoni, SIX! Up and over! This is banged in short and well outside the off stump. MS Dhoni reaches out and somehow manages to slap it over the backward point fence for a maximum.

Sam Curran to Devon Conway, Close but the benefit of the doubt has to be given to the batter. Sam Curran rolls his fingers over the ball and bowls it into the pitch. Devon Conway pulls it without much timing and hits it flat over mid-wicket. Liam Livingstone comes racing in from deep mid-wicket and slides in to take the catch or it seems so. Livingstone isn't sure and the umpires go upstairs to check. This one seems very close and the third umpire checks a lot of replays before concluding that there is no substantial evidence of the fingers being under the ball. Not Out comes up on the screen and it will be a single.

Sam Curran to Devon Conway, WIDE! Takes pace off and tries to push it outside off but ends up spilling it well beyond the tramline.

Sam Curran to MS Dhoni, Full and on leg stump, MS Dhoni gets the front leg out of the way and heaves it down to long on for a single.

Sam Curran to MS Dhoni, Swing and a miss! Slightly shorter and over the stumps, MS Dhoni walks right across the stumps and looks to pull it toward fine leg but misses.

A huge roar from the Chennai crowd as MS Dhoni walks in to bat now!

Sam Curran to Ravindra Jadeja, OUT! CAUGHT! Punjab closing things off well here. Sam Curran comes from over the wicket and looks for the yorker on middle but ends up serving a low full toss. Ravindra Jadeja hangs deep and tries to get under it but only manages to get it off the toe end. The ball goes high up in the air and toward deep mid-wicket where Liam Livingstone takes a simple catch.

Kagiso Rabada to Devon Conway, FOUR! Throws his hands at this one and gets the boundary. Back of a length outside off, Devon Conway frees his arms and flat-bats it to the right of long on for a boundary.

Kagiso Rabada to Devon Conway, Excellent bowling! Really slow and angled well across the left-hander. Devon Conway tries to hang back and play it late and fine toward third man but misses.

Kagiso Rabada to Ravindra Jadeja, Slower again but bowled into the pitch and over middle, Ravindra Jadeja pulls it away to deep mid-wicket and turns the strike over.

Kagiso Rabada to Devon Conway, Another off-paced delivery, full and around off, Devon Conway hits it down to long on for just one more.

Kagiso Rabada to Ravindra Jadeja, Slower again and pushed outside the off stump, Ravindra Jadeja comes forward and reaches out to hit it toward deep point for a run.

Kagiso Rabada to Devon Conway, Takes pace off and bowls it full on off stump. Devon Conway looks for the big slog across the line but gets an inside edge past the stumps. The ball rolls toward backward square leg as the batters take a run.

Arshdeep Singh to Devon Conway, Slower one, on a good length and around off. Devon Conway shapes up to shuffle across and attempt the scoop but adjusts well and just dabs it toward short third man for a quick single.

Arshdeep Singh to Ravindra Jadeja, Keeps bowling it full and angles it into pads this time. Ravindra Jadeja steps out and drives it down to long on for a single.

Arshdeep Singh to Ravindra Jadeja, Very full again, a low full toss around off stump, Ravindra Jadeja heaves it away in between deep mid-wicket and long on for a couple of runs.

Arshdeep Singh to Ravindra Jadeja, Good change of pace! Slower one, bowled back of a length and around off. Ravindra Jadeja looks to back away and tap it away behind point but gets an under edge back to the keeper.

Arshdeep Singh to Ravindra Jadeja, Two more! Full and straight from Arshdeep Singh. Ravindra Jadeja punches it on the up and down to the right of long on before scampering back quickly for the second run.

Arshdeep Singh to Ravindra Jadeja, Very full and on off stump, Ravindra Jadeja leans on and works it away well in front of mid-wicket for a couple of runs.

Rahul Chahar to Devon Conway, FOUR! Easy pickings for Devon Conway! Another one that is dragged down around leg, Conway sits down and pulls it away into the backward square leg fence.

Rahul Chahar to Devon Conway, FOUR! Full and on middle and leg, Devon Conway gets down on one knee and sweeps it hard and along the turf through backward square leg for a boundary.

Rahul Chahar to Devon Conway, Tries to be a bit too cheeky here. A drag down from Rahul Chahar over middle stump, Devon Conway shuffles right across the stumps and tries to just paddle it past the keeper but ends up missing it.

Rahul Chahar to Ravindra Jadeja, Around the pads, tucked away 'round the corner for a single.

Rahul Chahar to Ravindra Jadeja, Excellent running! Wrong'un, shorter and around off. Ravindra Jadeja stays back and nudges it away well in front of mid-wicket for a couple of runs.

Ravindra Jadeja walks in.

Rahul Chahar to Moeen Ali, OUT! STUMPED! Lightning-fast hands from Jitesh Sharma behind the sticks. Moeen Ali pre-meditates and gives the charge. Rahul Chahar sees him coming and pulls the length back a bit, bowling it on leg stump. Ali gets beaten in the flight but still goes through with the heave. The ball turns in and beats the bat before Jitesh whips off the bails. Chahar gets his first wicket of the game.

Sam Curran to Devon Conway, Slower one, bowled into the pitch and pushed wider of the off stump. Devon Conway waits on the back foot and slaps it wide of the man at deep point who does cut it off and saves a couple of runs for his side.

Sam Curran to Devon Conway, Full and angled into the pads, Devon Conway flicks it straight to square leg.

Sam Curran to Devon Conway, WIDE! A slower bumper now outside off, a bit too high though for the umpire's liking.

Sam Curran to Devon Conway, FOUR! Good effort in the field but in vain. Full and wide, Devon Conway shows great skills to open the bat face late and play it on the full. The ball travels quickly to the right of Kagiso Rabada at short third who dives and gets a hand on it but the ball still trickles into the fence.

Sam Curran to Moeen Ali, Another slower one, banged into the deck and outside off. Moeen Ali lofts this one without much timing and over cover-point for a single.

Sam Curran to Moeen Ali, FOUR! Up and over! A slower ball from over the stumps, full and outside off. Moeen Ali opens up the off side and hits it over extra cover for a boundary. The 150 is up now for Chennai.

Sam Curran to Moeen Ali, Very full and wide, Moeen Ali reaches out and opens the face of the bat to slash it away but finds the man at backward point. Unlucky!

Liam Livingstone to Devon Conway, FOUR! Cut away! Full and outside off, Devon Conway reads it well and cuts it through backward point as the ball finds the fence.

Liam Livingstone to Moeen Ali, Lands it on middle, Moeen Ali pushes it towards mid off for a single.

Liam Livingstone to Moeen Ali, FOUR! Easy as you like. Full and on off, Moeen Ali picks it well and lofts it over extra covers for a boundary!

Liam Livingstone to Devon Conway, Slower one on middle and leg, Devon Conway nudges it towards square leg for one.

Liam Livingstone to Devon Conway, Quicker one, on off, Devon Conway pulls it towards deep mid-wicket for a brace.

Liam Livingstone to Devon Conway, FOUR! Full and on off, slower too. Devon Conway hangs back and lofts it over extra covers for a one-bounce boundary. Superb shot!

Moeen Ali walks in at number 4. Also, Liam Livingstone comes into the attack now.

Arshdeep Singh to Shivam Dube, OUT! TAKEN! Arshdeep Singh gets the danger man. Full and on off, slower too. Shivam Dube looks to loft it but gets the toe end of his bat. It goes up in the air towards long on. Shahrukh Khan settles near the ropes and takes a fine catch. Shivam Dube's quick-fire cameo comes to an end!

Arshdeep Singh to Devon Conway, Lands it well outside off, Devon Conway steers it to backward point for one.

Arshdeep Singh to Shivam Dube, Bowls it on off, Shivam Dube pulls it towards deep mid-wicket for one.

Arshdeep Singh to Devon Conway, Full and on off, slower too, Devon Conway looks to loft it but mistimes it completely. The ball goes high up in the air towards mid off. Sam Curran runs to take it from long off but just couldn't reach it. Lucky for Devon Conway!

Arshdeep Singh to Shivam Dube, A low full toss, on off, Shivam Dube drills it to long off for one.

Arshdeep Singh to Shivam Dube, Wide! Bowls it wide outside off, Shivam Dube leaves it alone.

Arshdeep Singh to Shivam Dube, FOUR! Excellent from Dube. Full and on middle, Shivam Dube picks it well and drills it through long on for a boundary. Pressure on Arshdeep Singh now!

Strategic Break! This has been a fantastic first 13 overs for Chennai as they seem to be on the course of getting a score of around 190-200 which, in a day game, could be huge. Devon Conway is simply in a purple patch at the moment and has brought up his 5th half-century of the season already. Conway and Shivam Dube are set and the only way Punjab can stop them is by picking wickets and boy, they desperately need wickets here. Can Punjab pull things back? Or will Chennai pile on the misery? Let's find out… Also, Arshdeep Singh (2-0-20-0) is back on.

Kagiso Rabada to Devon Conway, FOUR! Cheeky from Devon Conway. Touch full and on middle, Devon Conway shuffles across and scoops it through fine leg for a boundary.

Kagiso Rabada to Shivam Dube, Bowls it on off, Shivam Dube loons to heave it but doesn't connect well. It carries and lands safely at deep mid-wicket. They cross.

Kagiso Rabada to Shivam Dube, Wide! Too short, on off, Shivam Dube let's it go.

Kagiso Rabada to Shivam Dube, Slower and outside off, shorter in length, Shivam Dube gets in two minds but gets it go in the end.

Kagiso Rabada to Devon Conway, Another one on middle, Devon Conway flicks it to square leg for one again.

Kagiso Rabada to Shivam Dube, Bowls it on middle, Shivam Dube tucks it to mid-wicket for one.

Kagiso Rabada to Shivam Dube, SIX! Bang! That is huge. Slightly shorter and on off, Shivam Dube picks it well and launches it over deep mid-wicket as the ball sails into the stands for a maximum.

Sikandar Raza to Devon Conway, Full and on off, Devon Conway blocks it back towards the bowler.

Sikandar Raza to Shivam Dube, Bowls it on off, Shivam Dube looks for a wild swing but gets an inside edge towards mid-wicket. They cross.

Sikandar Raza to Devon Conway, Lands it on off, Devon Conway flicks it to square leg for a quick single.

Sikandar Raza to Devon Conway, FOUR! Fifty up for Devon Conway. Full and on off, Devon Conway picks it well and reverse sweeps it through backward point for a boundary. What a player!

Sikandar Raza to Shivam Dube, Quicker one, onto the pads, Shivam Dube tucks it to square leg for one.

Sikandar Raza to Shivam Dube, SIX! Up, up and over. Touch short and on off, slower too. Shivam Dube hangs back and heaves it over cow corner for a maximum!

Kagiso Rabada to Shivam Dube, Short and on middle, Shivam Dube pulls it to deep square leg for one.

Kagiso Rabada to Devon Conway, On a length, shaping in, Devon Conway looks to play at it but edges it towards point for one.

Kagiso Rabada to Shivam Dube, Good-length and on off, Shivam Dube tucks it to mid-wicket for one.

Kagiso Rabada to Shivam Dube, Just short! Lands it outside off, Shivam Dube cuts it towards backward point. The ball carried for a bit and landed just short of the diving fielder. Close!

Kagiso Rabada to Shivam Dube, Bowls it just outside off, Shivam Dube eases it to the man at covers.

Kagiso Rabada to Devon Conway, On a length and some extra bounce, Devon Conway flicks it to square leg for a single.

Sikandar Raza to Shivam Dube, Excellent work in the deep! Full again, on middle and leg, Shivam Dube looks to free his arms and hammers this one straight down the ground but there's not much timing on it/. Kagiso Rabada runs to his right from long on and dives in to cut it off, keeping it down to a couple of runs.

Sikandar Raza to Shivam Dube, Misfield! This is floated up full and on middle, Shivam Dube strokes it straight to extra cover where Rahul Chahar lets it through his hands and the batters pick up a couple of free runs.

Shivam Dube is the next batter.

Sikandar Raza to Ruturaj Gaikwad, OUT! STUMPED! Runs past the ball does Ruturaj Gaikwad and Punjab finally have the breakthrough. Gaikwad pre-meditates as he tries to come down the pitch. Sikandar Raza sees him coming and gives this one a bit more air, flighting it wide outside the off stump. The ball also goes away from the batter who is beaten in the flight and walks past the ball as he looks to drive. Jitesh Sharma whips off the bails and Gaikwad doesn't even attempt to get back.

Sikandar Raza to Devon Conway, Angled onto the pads, tucked away leg side for a single.

Sikandar Raza to Devon Conway, FOUR! Two in two for Devon Conway! Full and quick, angled into leg stump. Conway manages to clear the front leg and thumps it straight down the ground for four runs.

Sikandar Raza to Devon Conway, FOUR! Poor delivery and duly punished! Another round-arm delivery, turns out to be a real drag down around leg stump. Devon Conway pulls it past the man at short fine leg for a boundary.

Rahul Chahar to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Good running! Pushed around off and turning away, Ruturaj Gaikwad strokes it away toward sweeper cover and races back for the second run.

Rahul Chahar to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nagging length on middle and leg, Ruturaj Gaikwad looks to tuck it off the back foot but fails to get it away.

Rahul Chahar to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Drops it a bit short and bowls it outside off, Ruturaj Gaikwad taps it in front of cover and Devon Conway looks for one but hurries back to the non-striker's end.

Rahul Chahar to Devon Conway, Flatter one on the stumps, this is worked away in front of mid-wicket for a single.

Rahul Chahar to Devon Conway, SIX! Excellent use of the feet from Devon Conway. Tossed up around middle, Conway shimmies down the track and lifts it right back over the bowler's head for a maximum.

Rahul Chahar to Ruturaj Gaikwad, A leg-break, outside off, Ruturaj Gaikwad comes forward and pushes it with the turn toward cover for a run.

Sikandar Raza to Devon Conway, Beaten again! Sikandar Raza bowls this round-arm and fires it in full and wide of the off stump. Devon Conway tries to reach out and get some bat on it but fails to do so.

Sikandar Raza to Devon Conway, Quicker one at over 109 clicks and outside off, this is cut away straight to point.

Sikandar Raza to Devon Conway, Beaten! Quicker and flatter around off, Devon Conway looks to stay back and guide it toward third man but is well beaten.

Sikandar Raza to Devon Conway, FOUR! Sublime from Devon Conway. Comes from around the wicket to the left-hander and tries to angle in a quicker one from outside off. Conway advances and drives it crisply wide of extra cover for a lovely boundary.

Sikandar Raza to Ruturaj Gaikwad, A bit quicker on middle, this is pushed away through mid-wicket for a single.

Sikandar Raza to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Starts off with a fullish delivery at the stumps, Ruturaj Gaikwad pushes it back to the bowler.

Sikandar Raza comes into the attack.

Rahul Chahar to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Closes out the over well and only five singles off it. Flatter around middle, punched away off the back foot by Ruturaj Gaikwad toward deep cover for one.

Rahul Chahar to Devon Conway, Fires this one in a lot quicker and around leg stump. Devon Conway sets up for the sweep but mistimes it toward backward square leg for a single.

Rahul Chahar to Devon Conway, Slower and shorter outside off, Devon Conway backs away and taps it toward point.

Rahul Chahar to Ruturaj Gaikwad, A tad bit short and around the pads, this is worked away into the gap at mid-wicket for one more.

Rahul Chahar to Devon Conway, Tossed up a bit, on a nagging length and on off, Devon Conway heaves it toward deep mid-wicket and turns the strike over.

Rahul Chahar to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Floated up on middle and leg, turning it away. Ruturaj Gaikwad hops back and nudges it toward wide mid on for a quick single.

Strategic Break! Chennai are off to a flier and both the openers are looking confident to make their side reach to a mammoth total. Punjab are struggling to find their lengths right and will look to break this partnership soon. Let's see how the remaining contest pans out.

Sam Curran to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Just a single to end but 16 runs come off it and Chennai are 57/0 at the end of the Powerplay! Slower again around the hips, tucked away to mid-wicket for a run.

Sam Curran to Ruturaj Gaikwad, FOUR! Down the wrong line and Sam Curran is being taken apart here. Slower one, banged in a bit but down leg, Ruturaj Gaikwad helps it on its way to fine leg for four more runs.

Sam Curran to Ruturaj Gaikwad, WIDE! An attempted slower ball, spilled well down the leg side and Ruturaj Gaikwad is happy to leave it alone.

Sam Curran to Devon Conway, Banged into the deck this time and over middle, Devon Conway gets on top of the bounce and plays a controlled hook shot down to deep backward square leg for one.

Sam Curran to Devon Conway, FOUR! Just over! Length ball around off, Devon Conway looks for the big heave across the line but mistimes it badly. The ball just clears the man at mid on and once it hits the turf, the ball races away to the fence. 50 up now for Chennai.

Sam Curran to Devon Conway, FOUR! One bounce and over the ropes! A touch fuller and outside off, Devon Conway picks up the length early and whacks it over mid on for a boundary.

Sam Curran to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Full and on the legs, Ruturaj Gaikwad clips it away firmly toward deep mid-wicket and picks up a single.

Rahul Chahar to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Drags his length back a bit, Ruturaj Gaikwad punches it to covers for a quick single.

Rahul Chahar to Ruturaj Gaikwad, SIX! That's huge! Full and on off, slower too. Ruturaj Gaikwad shimmies down the wicket and lofts it over long on as the ball sails into the stands. 96 METRES!

Rahul Chahar to Devon Conway, Full and on middle, Devon Conway tucks it to mid-wicket for one.

Rahul Chahar to Devon Conway, Flatter one, on off, Devon Conway plays a reverse-sweep towards covers but finds the fielder. Dot.

Rahul Chahar to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Lands it on middle and leg, Ruturaj Gaikwad taps it to covers for a single.

Rahul Chahar to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Full and on off, Ruturaj Gaikwad digs it to covers.

Spin for the first time as Rahul Chahar comes on to bowl.

Sam Curran to Devon Conway, Too full and on off, Devon Conway digs it back towards the bowler who just manages to get his hand on it as the ball slowly reaches towards the stumps at the bowler's end. Ruturaj Gaikwad fumbles a bit and makes a dive it he was well safe.

Sam Curran to Ruturaj Gaikwad, On a length and some extra bounce, pace off, Ruturaj Gaikwad pulls it towards deep mid-wicket for a single.

Sam Curran to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Full and on off, Ruturaj Gaikwad cuts it to the man ta point.

Sam Curran to Devon Conway, Good-length, outside off, Devon Conway steers it towards backward point for a single.

Sam Curran to Devon Conway, Too full and outside off, Devon Conway knocks it but finds the fielder at mid off.

Sam Curran to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Bowls it on leg, Ruturaj Gaikwad tucks it to square leg for a single.

Sam Curran comes into the attack now.

Arshdeep Singh to Devon Conway, FOUR! Slightly shorter and on middle and leg, Devon Conway reads it well and pulls it through backward square leg as the ball races away from the fence.

Arshdeep Singh to Devon Conway, Full and on middle, Devon Conway blocks it to the mid on fielder.

Arshdeep Singh to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Lands it outside off, Ruturaj Gaikwad cuts it to backward point. An overthrow and a misfield allows the batters to steal a single!

Arshdeep Singh to Ruturaj Gaikwad, FOUR! Excellent timing here. Full and on off, Ruturaj Gaikwad picks it well and caresses it through extra covers for a boundary. This is batting at its best!

Arshdeep Singh to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Too full and on off, Ruturaj Gaikwad digs it to the an at short covers.

Arshdeep Singh to Ruturaj Gaikwad, FOUR! These two have made a statement here. On a length and outside off, Ruturaj Gaikwad hangs back and cuts it through backward point as the ball finds the fence.

Kagiso Rabada to Devon Conway, Lands it outside off again, Devon Conway looks to play at it but gets an inside edge onto his pads. Ends with a dot ball.

Kagiso Rabada to Devon Conway, FOUR MORE! Touch fuller one, outside off, Devon Conway shimmies down the wicket and slaps it through covers for four more.

Kagiso Rabada to Devon Conway, FOUR! Perfect timing. Full and outside off, Devon Conway picks it well and lofts it over extra covers for a boundary.

Kagiso Rabada to Devon Conway, Bowls a slower one, on off, Devon Conway looks to drive it but miscues it to short mid-wicket. Dot again.

Kagiso Rabada to Devon Conway, Full and outside off, it keeps a tad low, Devon Conway drives it but finds the man at covers.

Kagiso Rabada to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Bowls it down leg, Ruturaj Gaikwad looks to flick it but misses as the ball brushes his pads and rolls towards short fine leg. They cross for a leg bye.

Kagiso Rabada to steam in from the opposite end.

Arshdeep Singh to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Touch fuller and on off, Ruturaj Gaikwad knocks it to mid off and scampers through for a quick single.

Arshdeep Singh to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Bowls it on a length and on off, pace off as well. Ruturaj Gaikwad taps it to the point fielder.

Arshdeep Singh to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Wide! A wayward bouncer, just outside off, Ruturaj Gaikwad let's it go.

Arshdeep Singh to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Lands it on a length, keeps it well outside off, Ruturaj Gaikwad leaves it alone. Ruturaj Gaikwad goes upstairs to have a wide ball check. The replay convinces the third umpire that it was a fair delivery and the onfield decision stands.

Arshdeep Singh to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Bowls it on off, Ruturaj Gaikwad guides it to the man at short third man. Dot.

Arshdeep Singh to Ruturaj Gaikwad, FOUR! Ruturaj Gaikwad is away. Absolute perfection. Touch fuller and on off, Ruturaj Gaikwad gets low and caresses it through covers as the ball finds the fence.

Arshdeep Singh to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Good-length, shaping in, Ruturaj Gaikwad looks to block it but gets an inside edge onto his pads as the ball bounces off the deck.

Arshdeep Singh to Ruturaj Gaikwad, Wide! Starts with a length ball wide outside off, Ruturaj Gaikwad offers no stroke. Arshdeep Singh starts with a wide.

We are ready for the start of the play! The two umpires make their way out to the middle as the players of Punjab take their positions on the field. As usual, it will be the pair of Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad to open the innings for Chennai. Arshdeep Singh has the new ball in hand and is raring to go. Let's play…

PITCH REPORT –  Aaron Finch is pitchside. He says it is a dry wicket and there is very little grass. The ball will start to turn later on so the batters at the start will have to get as many runs in the Powerplay. The new ball is going to skid through and there will be a little bounce as well. He says that 180 will be a good total for the team batting first.

Shikhar Dhawan the skipper of Punjab says that would have loved to bat as well. Adds that it is a dry wicket and that is the reason they would have batted. He says that they will look to give their best and ends by mentioning the change of Harpreet Brar coming in.

MS Dhoni the skipper of Chennai says that they will bat first and adds that it looks like a decent wicket and in a day game, it is crucial to give the pacers a bit of a rest in the afternoon. Mentions that it's important to be intelligent and it isn't sensible to get exposed to the sun too long. Adds that it is a long tournament and some games won't go your way but it is important to take learnings from those games. Lastly informs that they have the same team as the last game.

Impact players for Punjab – Prabhsimran Singh, Matthew Short, Rishi Dhawan, Mohit Rathee, Shivam Singh.

Punjab (Playing XI) – Shikhar Dhawan (C), Atharva Taide, Liam Livingstone, Sikandar Raza, Sam Curran, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Shahrukh Khan, Harpreet Brar (In for Gurnoor Brar), Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh.

Impact players for Chennai – Akash Singh, Dwaine Pretorius, Subhranshu Senapati, Shaik Rasheed, Rajvardhan Hangargekar.

Chennai (Unchanged Playing XI) – Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (C)(WK), Matheesha Pathirana, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana.

TOSS – Chennai have won the toss and will BAT first.

On the other hand, Chennai has started its season well under the leadership of the legendary MS Dhoni, winning five out of eight matches with just three defeats. The team has plenty of depth in their batting, with both the openers in scintillating form. The bowling unit has also shown improvement, with Tushar Deshpande being their standout performer. They have some big names in their all-rounders' department as well and the side will hope some magic from them too. The stakes are high as this game promises to be a cracker. Toss and team news to follow shortly…

Punjab's campaign so far has been a mixed bag, with four wins and four losses in their eight games played. In their batting order, the young Atharva Taide has shown glimpses of his potential while on the bowling front, Kagiso Rabada has made his return and the Punjab side will be expecting some magic from him. The rest of the side has been in good form and the side will hope to win this one and claw their way up in the points table.

Hello and a warm welcome folks! The Indian T20 league is in full swing as we have reached to the mid-way of the season. Match number 41 will see Chennai facing Punjab at the MA Chidambaram Stadium which is also the 999th game in the history of the tournament. It is set up to be a fascinating encounter as Chennai look to keep their place high up the table whereas Punjab will try to make a push for a playoff spot with 2 crucial points here.

… MATCH DAY …

The fixtures only get tougher from hereon as they have a lot riding on them, and we are into the second half of the Indian T20 League 2023. It is now time for match number 41 where Chennai will be locking horns against Punjab, and that too, in front of the Yellow Army. We all know how solid Chennai are when they are playing on home turf, as they certainly turn their home ground into a fortress, and would be hoping that it helps them to get the winning momentum back in the dressing room. Dhoni and his men suffered a defeat in their previous encounter against Rajasthan. It is only their third loss of the campaign and Chennai would be aiming to get back to winning ways as soon as possible, as things in the points table are pretty tight. Chennai have an extraordinary batting unit, and with Ajinkya Rahane unlocking an aggressive style in his batting, it has turned into a solid unit, which was looking fragile for a moment when Ben Stokes got injured. Also, their bowling has been impressive even with the lack of experience in their bowling department. Punjab, on the other hand, faced a heart-crushing defeat against Lucknow. To be honest, their bowlers were taken to the cleaners from the get-go, as Lucknow posted a mammoth total of 257 runs, which in the end proved to be a bit too much for them. Nonetheless, Punjab tried their best during the chase and got to a respectable total of 200. Only if their hard hitters could've hit a few lusty blows early on and found some rhythm, Punjab could've ended up near the target, at least. Undoubtedly, this Punjab side is filled with quality players, and if they are to win away from home, there is no better place than doing it in Chennai. A victory here would certainly help them to turn a corner around in their campaign. So far, they have only been able to record consecutive wins only once this season. Punjab do need to get back to winning ways as early as possible and try to ride the wave of momentum. No matter what happens, it surely promises to be a cracker of an event. Will Chennai continue their domination at home? Or will Punjab find a win against all odds? We shall find out together.