Mohali, May 16 (IANS) Putting up a strong bowling performance, Chennai Super Kings restricted Kings XI Punjab to 130/7 in 20 overs during an Indian Premier League (IPL) contest at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium here on Saturday.
After skipper George Bailey won the toss and elected to bat, KXIP never got it going from the start and lost wickets regularly. Young all-rounder Axar scored 32 in 28 balls and forged a 44-run stand for the seventh wicket with Rishi Dhawan (not out 25) to ensure that they cross the 100-run mark.
KXIP lost three wickets inside the first six Powerplay overs. Makeshift opener Wriddhiman Saha (16)was holed out at cover following a mis-hit off left-arm spinner Pawan Negi.
Later, skipper George Bailey (7) paid the price for touching an away moving Ashish Nehra delivery that landed in the hands of wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
The other opening batsman Manan Vohra (4) sliced an Ishwar Pandey delivery to Nehra at third man to leave KXIP reeling at 35/3 in 5.1 overs.
CSK off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had right-handed batsman Gurkeerat Singh Mann (15) stumped by Dhoni and Glenn Maxwell was clean bowled by left-arm tweaker Ravichandran Jadeja.
Following Maxwell’s wicket, the hosts were in trouble at 55/5 in 10 overs and the script refused to change in the next 10 overs.
Negi returned to remove aggressive left-handed batsman David Miller (11) to shut the door on KXIP’s chances of a comeback.
Afterwards, Patel and Dhawan put up a useful 44-run partnership.
For the visitors, Negi was the most successful bowler, picking up two wickets for 25 runs in four overs. Nehra, Dwayne Bravo, Pandey, Ashwin, Jadeja took a wicket each.