Chennai Super Kings got their form back with a commanding eight-wicket win away at Royal Challengers Bangalore in their final league game of IPL 7.
RCB put on a disappointing 154-6 in their 20 overs, saved by Virat Kohli 's impressive 73.
Chennai got off to a flying start in response and never eased off, with Faf du Plessis and MS Dhoni steering them home with more than two overs to spare.
The win represents a big boost to Chennai, whose place in the play-offs was already assured despite a run which saw them lose four of their previous six matches going into this game.
For Bangalore, however, the curtain comes down on a disappointing season, one in which an embarrassment of batting riches failed to gel and win them key games.
It was the same again against disciplined Super Kings bowling.
Ashish Nehra struck early, and Ravi Ashwin and Mohit Sharma also picked up wickets to leave RCB in trouble during the powerplay overs.
Kohli and Yuvraj Singh threatened to steady the ship, but their 55-run stand was as good as it got for the Challengers.
Kohli continued alone until his exit in the final over, but the total looked light without sufficient support.
Dwayne Smith and du Plessis chased after it at a pace, Smith falling for a 17-ball 34, by which time the Super Kings had notched 57 runs in just over four overs.
The assault slowed a touch as Suresh Raina stroked the ball around, but the back of the total had already been broken.
Perhaps mindful that run-rate could determine the Super Kings' fate, Dhoni promoted himself up the order to No. 4 and went aggressively at the total. His unbeaten 49 took just 28 balls to compile, with du Plessis thumping three sixes of his own en route to 54.
Kolkata Knight Riders can still take a place in the top two if they achieve a resounding final-day victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad, but Chennai will be relieved that they seem to have clicked back into gear just as the tournament gets serious.
//from Bleacher Report http://ift.tt/1t6gtOZ
via IFTTT May 24, 2014 at 07:20AM
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