On Sunday at Eden Gardens, Chennai Super Kings cruised to a five-wicket win over the Kolkata Knight Riders. The chase was anchored by Suresh Raina, who hit a half-century, and accelerated by Ravindra Jadeja's aggressive 31 off 17 deliveries. Before the chase, Imran Tahir was the star with the ball, recording his best-ever IPL figures of 4/27 to limit KKR to a total of 161/8. Raina finished the match unbeaten on 58, while Jadeja remained not out on 31 as they hit the target with two balls to spare.
The match reached a climax with 24 runs needed from the final two overs, but Jadeja effectively ended the contest by smashing Harry Gurney for three consecutive fours. This win marks a four-game winning streak for the defending champions, bringing them to 14 points. Given that 16 points is usually the magic number for the playoffs, they are now very close to confirming their post-season berth.
This victory is particularly significant as it is CSK's first win at Eden Gardens since 2013. By beating KKR twice this season, they've left the home side reeling with three consecutive defeats—their worst run since 2014—which likely means KKR will drop out of second place.
Interestingly, the 161 runs scored by KKR is their lowest total at Eden Gardens so far this year. They will look to bounce back when they host Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 19.