The Chennai Super Kings displaced the Rajasthan Royals at the top of the Pepsi IPL 2015 standings after they defeated Kings XI Punjab at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. After setting the visitors a difficult target of 193, the CSK bowlers never allowed the run-chase to take off and restricted KXIP to 95-9. The margin of victory – 97 runs – was CSK’s biggest win in the IPL.

After opting to bat first, the Chennai Super Kings openers put the Mumbai Indians bowlers to the sword taking them for 50 runs in the 4.3 overs. Dwayne Smith set things in motion when he sent Karanveer Singh’s first delivery packing through covers. Brendon McCullum wasn’t to be left behind; he picked up two boundaries off the second over from Sandeep Sharma – one off the outside edge and the other blitzed through the covers.

Smith got stuck into the leg-spinner Karanveer in the third over hitting him for two fours and two sixes. In the following over, McCullum picked up a four and a six off Sandeep Sharma.

KXIP had an opportunity at the start of the fifth over when McCullum miscued the first delivery bowled by Anureet Singh, but Mitchell Johnson couldn’t hold on to a skier. Later in the same over, KXIP tasted their first success when Smith attempted to play the pull but was early into the shot and dragged the ball onto his stumps. Smith made 26 from 13 balls.

Suresh Raina played second fiddle in his partnership with McCullum; the second wicket pair added 66 runs in 7.3 overs with McCullum contributing 42 runs to Raina’s 15. The left-right pair ran well between the wickets, but McCullum ensured the ball kept finding the fence frequently. No KXIP bowler was spared; even Mitchell Johnson was at the receiving end of two fours and a six.

CSK had the spin of the coin going their way as well. Johnson put down McCullum (when the Kiwi batsman was on 21) and Raina (when the left-hander was on 13). Raina earned another reprieve when the Umpire did not spot a faint edge.

McCullum was dismissed at the start of the 13th over – with the score reading 116 - when he attempted to hit an Axar Patel delivery over long-off, but didn’t get it off the middle of the bat and picked the man patrolling the boundary. He made 66 from 44 balls, and hit eight fours and three sixes.

Raina was dismissed in an unfortunate manner; he had backed up too far when a straight drive from MS Dhoni kissed the bowler’s hand enroute to the stumps. The left-hander was run out for 29, made from 25 balls.

CSK skipper MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja (making his 100th appearance in an IPL match) gave the innings the finishing touches adding 48 runs in 4.4 overs. Dhoni, who walked out to bat at number four, remained unbeaten on 41 from 27 balls, while Jadeja had 18 from 11 balls. Apart from hitting two fours and two sixes, Dhoni was also quick on the field, running nine singles and six twos. CSK finished their twenty overs at 192 for 3.

KXIP’s bowlers had a tough time containing a formidable CSK lineup. Anureet Singh and Axar Patel were the wicket-takers.

Cut to the run-chase, Ishwar Pandey and Ashish Nehra struck twice in the first six overs setting the stage for the spinners. CSK coach Stephen Fleming had stressed on the eve of the match that it was important for the spin pair of R Ashwin and Jadeja to come to the party. And the two spinners answered their coach’s call in style. They bowled the right areas consistently, bowled the right pace, were helped by turn on the pitch, and further aided by some very attacking captaincy by Dhoni, made life difficult for the visitors. Together, the off-spinner and the left-arm spinner bowled eight overs, conceded only 36 runs, and most importantly picked up five wickets.