A strong, unbeaten 88 from Shikhar Dhawan combined with an impactful bowling display by Arshdeep Singh steered Punjab Kings to an 11-run victory against Chennai Super Kings.
While attempting to reach 188, CSK fell short as Ambati Rayudu's hard work wasn't supported by MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja in the final two overs. Rishi Dhawan played a crucial role, holding his nerve to defend 27 runs in the game's last over.
CSK started strong after electing to bowl, limiting PBKS to 37/1 in the powerplay. To avoid a collapse, Dhawan and Bhanuka Rajapaksa played defensively at first, finding it difficult to rotate the strike in the first 10 overs before finally accelerating their scoring rate.
The pair put on 110 runs for the second wicket before Rajapaksa was sent back for 42 by Dwayne Bravo. With a handy 19-run contribution from Liam Livingstone and Dhawan's reliable anchoring, Punjab Kings finished their 20 overs at 187/4.
CSK's reply started shakily, with Punjab's bowlers dominating early on to leave them at 40/3 after 7 overs. A partnership of 49 between Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rayudu provided a glimmer of hope, but Rabada intervened, removing Gaikwad for 30. Rayudu then tried to seize control of the game with several boundaries.
Ultimately, Rayudu's fatigue caught up with him, and he fell for 78 after a tired shot. MS Dhoni attempted to finish the game with a flurry of runs, but Rishi maintained control, restricting CSK to a final score of 176/6.