Chandigarh | Faf du Plessis missed out on a well-deserved hundred by four runs as Kings XI Punjab bowled well at the death to restrict Chennai Super Kings to 170 for 5 in a final IPL group league encounter of the two teams here Sunday.
Courtesy Du Plessis’ 96 off 55 balls and his 120-run stand with Suresh Raina (53 off 38 balls) set a platform for the defending champions.
However Sam Curran (3/35) and MOhammed Shami (2/17 in 3 overs) bowled well in the final few overs as CSK seemed at least 10 runs short of par score.
Du Plessis’ knock had 10 fours and four sixes and was dismissed by brilliant Curran yorker in the 19th over.
Du Plessis destroyed the Kings XI bowling attack, particularly punishing medium pacer Andrew Tye (0/37 in 3 overs) and spinner Murugan Ashwin (0/33 in 3 overs), hitting two boundaries and a six in one of their over.
Raina gave him good support at the other end, hitting five boundaries and two sixes.
Raina, who along with du Plessis tried to accelerate the pace of scoring, fell when the score was 150 in the 17th over off Curran’s bowling. The England all-rounder at the onset had dismissed Shane Watson.
Ambati Rayudu (10) and Kedar Jadhav’s (0) wickets were claimed by pacer Mohd Shami in the final over of the innings.
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