Brief Score: CSK (192 for 5 in 20 overs) beat KKR (160/7 in 20 overs) by 32 wickets in Match No. 14 of IPL 2026 in Chennai on Wednesday. CSK vs KKR, IPL 2026: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
On the eve of Poila Boishakh, the Bengali New Year, Kolkata Knight Riders would be hoping for a fresh start in IPL 2026. But the Shubho (lucky) in Shubho Noboborsho (Happy New Year) didn’t quite show on the field as Chennai Super Kings suffocated them with a spin at the MA2 Stadium, Chidam 3.
KKR effectively hurt themselves at crucial moments, delaying the performances of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, while Ayush Mhatre and Sanju Samson dominated. They also mishandled the batting order in the run-chase, pushing Cameron Green down and exposing him against spin where Noor Ahmad proved too good.
With four losses in five matches, KKR are now almost in a must-win situation. Meanwhile, CSK will take confidence from back-to-back wins after a shaky start, losing three on the bounce, as their campaign begins to gather momentum.
MHATRE, SAMSON TAKES OFF IN POWERPLAY
After being asked to bat first, Chennai Super Kings got off to a thunderous start but Kolkata Knight Riders pulled it off brilliantly to restrict the hosts to 192 for five.
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s lean run continued as he fell for just seven. He got an early reprieve when Cameron Green’s outside edge flew past the slip cordon, but Anukul Roy dismissed him soon after KKR introduced spin.
Then Ayush Mhatre and Sanju Samson shifted gears to power CSK to 72 in the powerplay. Mhatre was particularly tough on Cameron Green and played a key role in maximizing the fielding restrictions.
However, KKR ended the powerplay on a positive note as Vaibhav Arora removed Mhatre for a blistering 38 off 17 balls to pull things back at the crucial moment.
SPINNERS LIMIT CHENNAI
Once the powerplay was over, Kolkata Knight Riders staged a strong comeback and restricted Chennai Super Kings to just 120 runs in the last 14 overs. The spinners played a vital role, conceding just 68 runs in their combined 10 overs and claiming two wickets. If you exclude the 14th over, where Varun Chakravarthy went for 15 runs, the spinners were even more effective – giving away just 53 runs in the other nine overs under a run-a-ball.
Sunil Narine was an outstanding performer and finished with excellent figures of 4-0-21-1. Sanju Samson, who came on for a century-ending match against Delhi Capitals, fell short of a half-century, scoring 48 off 32 balls.
Dewald Brevis, Sarfaraz Khan and Shivam Dube chipped in with 41, 23 and 13 respectively, but none of them could really step up. As a result, despite a strong start, CSK fell short of the 200 mark.
KARTIK TYAGI ENSURES
Vaibhav Arora endured a forgettable outing among the pedestrians, conceding 55 runs in his four overs. Cameron Green also proved costly, conceding 30 runs, but Kartik Tyagi stood out with an impressive performance.
Tyagi removed Sanju Samson at the stage where the CSK opener hit the ball with ease and delivered a full and direct 148km/h lightning strike to clear it. He also dismissed Dewald Brevis, who was starting to accelerate in the death overs.
The quick conceded just six runs in the 18th over, followed by eight in his last over. The fact that he conceded just one boundary under pressure at the death highlighted his composure and played a key role in ensuring that CSK failed to cross the 200 mark in Chepauk for the first time in this IPL.
TERRIBLE POWERPLAY
It is fair to say that Kolkata Knight Riders lost the match in the powerplay itself where they managed only 36 runs. Sunil Narine opened the batting for the first time this season and looked promising with 24 off 17 balls before being dismissed by Khaleel Ahmed. Fin Allen also fell cheaply, leaving KKR under immediate pressure.
Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi tried to level the innings with scores of 28 and 27 respectively, but the required run rate quickly climbed above 10 and the pressure piled on. On a surface of assisted spinners, it presented a big challenge for the three-time champions.
KKR’s batting shuffle also failed, with Cameron Green dismissed for a golden duck by Noor Ahmad. Rinku Singh struggled for rhythm with just 6 off 12 before falling to the same bowler. Late cameos from Rovman Powell and Ramandeep Singh offered some resistance but the target was always out of reach.
NOOR SHINES FOR CSK
For Super Kings, Noor Ahmad was an outstanding performer with exceptional charm. Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj and Akeal Hosein also started alongside him, but it was Noor who had the decisive influence. He returned impressive figures of 4-0-21-3 as CSK restricted Kolkata Knight Riders to 160 for seven in 20 overs.
Noor struck early and removed Sunil Narine who looked dangerous in the power bowl. He then dismantled the middle order with the key wickets of Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh and Cameron Green.
CSK did suffer a worry when Khaleel Ahmed left midway through his spell with a leg injury, while Gurjapneet Singh had a tough game, conceding 23 runs in 1.1 overs. Overall though, CSK will take enough confidence heading into their next clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 18. It’s back to the drawing board for KKR as they look to halt their slump.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
14 Apr 2026 23:38 IST
