Published: Apr 15, 2019, 11:06 AM (IST)
Edited: Apr 15, 2019, 11:06 AM (IST)
Defending champions Chennai Super Kings have stayed on top of the IPL 2019 points table for another week, managing to win all three games over the past seven days.
Their week began at home in Chennai with a seven-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders and ended with a five-wicket win over the same opponents at Eden Gardens. Sandwiched between these two victories against KKR was a controversial and nail-biting last-ball finish versus Rajasthan Royals, in which MS Dhoni walked onto the field in unprecedented scenes.
Playing a huge role in CSK winning all three matches last week was their South African import Imran Tahir, who took six wickets.
In the home win over Kolkata, Tahir claimed 2/21 in his four overs. His wickets were KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik and Shubman Gill as the visitors were kept to 108/9, and Tahir should have had the prized scalp of Andre Russell except for a dropped catch. He began by getting Karthik in his opening over, out flat-batting to midwicket, and then had Gill stumped off a googly first ball of his second over.
In all, Tahir bowled an incredible 15 dot balls and had two decisions go to the third umpire. (READ: Harbhajan Singh and Imran Tahir are like old wine: MS Dhoni)
Against Rajasthan Royals, Tahir did not managed a wicket but bowled well to conceded 28 off four overs.
When CSK landed in Kolkata to face KKR, Tahir was in the thick of things with IPL-best figures of 4/27. Sunday’s outing choked KKR, as Tahir took out Nitish Rana and Robin Uthappa in the span of three balls during his first spell and then turned the course of the innings when he returned.
In that second spell, Tahir dismissed Chris Lynn for 82 and Russell for 10 to arrest the home team’s momentum.
For his four wickets, Tahir was named Man of the Match.
Not a bad week for a 40-year-old, eh?
