IPL 2022, CSK vs KKR Highlights: Dhoni’s valiant fifty in vain as Kolkata register comfortable six-wicket win

That’s all the action we have for you today. Thank you so much for joining us for the tournament opener. We will be back tomorrow for two exciting games – Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore. Until then, it’s goodbye. This is Ameya signing off!

Umesh Yadav claims the Player of the Match award for his 2/20 in four overs.

“There is always tension when MS Dhoni is batting. I knew momentum was going to shift towards them with the dew around. It was difficult to grip the ball. Enjoying the new franchise,” says Shreyas on the win.

The tournament opener was all about experienced players like Dhoni, Rahane and Umesh defying their age and proving their calibre and fitness. With the win, Kolkata also improve their head-to-head stats and dismal win record at the Wankhede. 

“Dew will be the vital part in this edition. If you win the toss, you will look to bowl first. The wicket was a little damp in the first 6-7 overs. We were trying to take the game deep. Everybody bowled well given the dew. Bravo bowled very well,” says Jadeja on the defeat.

What a start to the IPL 2022! Umesh Yadav ran through the Chennai top-order before Dhoni notched up a valiant fifty to bail the defending champions out from a precarious situation. 

But the 131-run total was too easy for Kolkata, who chased it down with nine balls to spare. Ajinkya Rahane scored 44 and Nitish Rana (21), Sam Billings (25) and skipper Shreyas Iyer (20 not out) also chipped in with vital cameos.

Shreyas shuffles across the crease and hits Milne for a boundary… and he begins his captaincy spell with a comfortable win over Chennai Super Kings.

And Shreyas finishes it off with a boundary! Kolkata start their campaign with a six-wicket win over defending champions Chennai.

Just three needed off 10 balls with Shreyas and Sheldon Jackson in the middle.

Most wickets in IPL

170 L Malinga/D Bravo*

166 A Mishra

157 P Chawla

150 Harbhajan

Billings departs on 25… and Bravo is level now with Malinga in the list of most IPL wickets!

Six runs! Billings wants to wrap this up quickly. He dances down the track against Jadeja and slams it over long-on for a maximum.

KKR 122-3

Slower delivery again from Bravo and Billings picked it early to slice it to backward square leg. Just 19 runs needed off last four overs.

KKR 113/3

Brilliant from Bravo! A slower one that dipped as well. The West Indian is just one wicket short of equalling Lasith Malinga in the list of most IPL wickets.

Six overs left and 34 to get… and Billings isn’t afraid to try out some reverse sweeps against Jadeja. Six off the over including four singles. Kolkata would breeze past the finish line at this pace.

KKR 104/3

Jadeja decides to take the review but it was clearly touching Billings’ gloves. Chennai waste the review… and it’s time for a time-out.

KKR 98/3

The ball is gripping on the wicket and Chennai can pile further pressure on Kolkata if they bowl a few more dot balls here. Sam Billings has joined Shreyas in the middle. The asking rate is just 5.40 and Chennai need wickets here. 

Back of the length delivery and Rahane hits it straight to Jadeja at mid-wicket. The CSK skipper doesn’t drop those. Rahane departs on 44.

The advantage for Kolkata right now is the asking rate, which is below six. Shreyas and Rahane can comfortably steer Kolkata past the finish line if they stick around for five more overs.

KKR 83/2

Taken by Rayudu right at the edge of the circle! Bravo takes the pace off and gets his second. Rana has to walk back for 21.

KKR 76/2

It was drifting down the pads and Rahane, who has looked brilliant so far, isn’t going to miss out on those. Bravo looks anguished as Rahane glances it down the leg for a boundary.

Take that! Santner tosses it up and Rana smokes it over mid-wicket for a huge six. Skipper Shreyas, who has pushed Rana up the order, appreciates the hit from the dugout. Kolkata in the driver’s seat with just 62 needed off 11 overs… And it’s time for strategic timeout.

50 up for Kolkata as Dube concedes 15 from his first over. Expensive from Dube! Rana welcomed him with a lofted cover drive and cut one that was bowled outside off. To make things worse, Dube conceded four byes on the penultimate delivery.

KKR 59/1

Almost a wicket maiden there! Bravo gives away just one and takes the vital wicket of Venkatesh, who edges it to Dhoni. And, Bravo celebrates the wicket by flaunting some new dance moves. Rana joins Rahane after Chennai finally end the opening stand.

KKR 44/1

Dwayne Bravo into the attack and he gets the breakthrough! Venkatesh Iyer walks back after scoring 16.

While Chennai were busy saving wickets in the first six overs, Kolkata are off to a flier here. Eight off Santner’s over and Rahane, Venkatesh inch closer to 50-run partnership for opening wicket.

KKR 43/0

Elegant! Rahane uses Deshpande’s pace to loft it in the long-off region. Ten off the over and Kolkata would be more than happy with this start. They need 97 more runs in the next 15 overs.

KKR 35/0

There was a big gap between mid-off and cover, and Venkatesh just had to time it sweetly. He opens full face of the bat to dispatch that for a boundary towards extra cover. Four more!

KKR 30/0

Lovely pick-up and that’s gone into the stands! First six of Kolkata’s innings. Short from Milne and Rahane whacks it to backward square leg. An 84-meter maximum.

KKR 25/0

Stand and deliver! Rahane hits it straight down the ground. He had no trouble whatsoever to drive it over Milne’s head.

There’s a touch of elegance in Venkatesh’s batting. Juicy half-volley from Deshpande and Venkatesh drives that away for four in the cover region.

KKR 15/0

Just two off Milne’s over, which started with a brilliant fielding effort from Deshpande. He ran in from third man and saved two runs for his side with a dive. Chennai need these to defend the total.

KKR 8/0

Lovely from Rahane! After Dhoni, we are seeing vintage Rahane. Overpitched delivery and Rahane times it to perfect for a four towards extra cover. Six off the first over bowled by Deshpande.

KKR 6/0

What a game we’ve witnessed so far. It started with Umesh Yadav’s double-strike and ended with MS Dhoni showing glimpses of his old self. Jadeja also played the perfect second fiddle to score 26 off 28 deliveries. Dhoni and Co are making their way to the middle. Rahane and Venkatesh are set to open for Kolkata!

“Last year I just played only 2 games and always feels nice to play and do well for the team. Got wickets in the powerplay, so I am very happy,” says Umesh.

47 runs came off the last three overs as the Wankhede crowd witnessed Dhoni notching up his first half-century in three years. 131 for five isn’t a hefty total but the ball is gripping and Chennai will eye early wickets to put some pressure on the opposition.

Jadeja and Dhoni have done a brilliant job to resurrect Chennai’s innings after early blows. The defending champions were 61 for five at one point before the experienced duo put up a 70-run partnership.

Jadeja finishes off with a four as Chennai reach 131/5 in 20 overs.

Dhoni takes a single to notch up his fifty off 38 deliveries! It’s taken him 28 innings to reach the milestone but what an innings from the crowd-puller!

A bit of helicopter there! Dhoni moves to 49 with a boundary off Russell’s yorker. 

He was sedate at the start but it’s been just MS for the past few deliveries. Short from Russell and Dhoni gets a boundary to backward square leg. Chennai fans are on their feet here.

18.5: One-handed loft over cover and Dhoni gets a boundary off gorgeous inside-out shot.

18.6: Dhoni’s batting onslaught continues as he top-edges Mavi’s full toss for a six. Seemed like it slipped off Mavi’s hands and the bowler had also asked a for towel moments ago. Jadeja has got the best seat here!

CSK 113/5

Another short delivery, another boundary! Dhoni hits Russell to backward square leg, and follows it up with a four to third man. Brilliant from the former skipper here.

CSK 98/5

Dhoni cuts Russell away for a boundary! Is this the start of some late fireworks? Short from Russell and Dhoni frees up his arms to get a much-needed four.

CSK 88/5

Average first innings total is 177 at the Wankhede in last ten matches. The Super Kings are a long way off here. Eight off Umesh’s over including a boundary that came due to a sloppy fielding effort at mid-off. Four more overs to go!

CSK 81/5

Umesh is back into the attack and he continues to bowl beauties with his pace and bounce.

CSK 74/5

Another quick glovework from Jackson but Dhoni was well inside the crease. 10 runs from here will get Chennai to a total of around 130. Not sure if that’s enough against a team like Kolkata at the Wankhede.

CSK 72/5

Just three off Mavi’s over and it’s time for the strategic time-out. It will be interesting to see who accelerates here… Dhoni the batter or Jadeja the skipper? Don’t forget Jadeja’s 37-run over against Harshal Patel last year. He can power his team to a competitive total.

CSK 69/5

Can it be the night when we see a bit of MS magic? Bit short from Mavi and Dhoni drives it towards deep backward point for a couple of runs. Chennai fans are in desperate need of a Dhoni special here.

CSK 68/5

Chakaravarthy has dismissed Dhoni thrice so far in the IPL in a space of 12 deliveries. It’s the former CSK skipper against his nemesis! Eight more overs to go.

CSK 64/5

A great match-up here! Chakaravarthy is up against Dhoni, who got a rousing reception as made his way into the middle.

Another one bites the dust! Russell strikes in his first over to remove Dube on three. Chennai in deep trouble now.

CSK 61/5

Just four off Chakaravarthy’s over and it’s baptism by fire for new skipper Jadeja. He wouldn’t have imagined this situation in his wildest dreams.

Dube joins skipper Jadeja after that mix-up. Rayudu was too eager for a single but Shreyas picked it up quickly and threw it to Narine, who did the rest. Two left-handers at the crease now.

CSK 53-4

What are Chennai doing today!!! A mix-up between Jadeja and Rayudu and the latter has to walk back after scoring 15. 

CSK 52/4

Fantastic work from Sheldon Jackson, who picked up Chakravarthy’s delivery and stumped Uthappa in a flash.

CSK 49/3

Take that! Rayudu hits his 150th six in the IPL and shows a glimpse of his glorious timing. An extra cover six against Chakravarthy for Rayudu.

CSK 47/2

Narine is bowling quick here! He finishes off the over with a carrom ball that was bowled over 90 kmph. Rayudu was beaten outside off because of the extra pace.

CSK 40/2

Chakravarthy into the attack and he concedes six in the last over of powerplay. A thick inside egde from Rayudu gifted a boundary to Chennai, who would want a steady partnership here.

CSK 35/2

Conway tried to charge down the track but ended up playing a half-hearted shot, which went straight to KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer. The Kolkata camp is on cloud nine. Second wicket for Umesh.

CSK 29/2

Another wicket! Conway departs for three as Umesh plucks his second wicket. Rayudu joins Uthappa in the middle.

CSK 28/2

3.4: More runs! Uthappa was in complete control of that shot. He moves across the off stump and helps Mavi’s delivery clear the rope.

3.6: Uthappa is looking in sublime touch here. Up against his old franchise, he drives Mavi’s delivery to fine leg.

CSK 28/1

Uthappa is up and running! He hits six of the tournament! Umesh has been shaping the ball away but this was angled at Uthappa’s pads. The batter whips it away for a maximum over square leg. Eight off the over.

CSK 16/1

First boundary for CSK! Uthappa dispatches Mavi’s delivery towards long leg for four. A much-needed four after Umesh’s wonderful first over.

CSK 8/1

We remember Brett Lee tossing up Unmukt Chand’s off-stump on first delivery of IPL 2013. An early wicket today by a KKR pacer jogs the memory of IPL fans.

Good quick catch by Nitish Rana in the slips as Gaikwad fell prey to a bit of movement and pace. A no ball and two wides from Umesh but he removed Gaikwad on nought in the very first over. Kolkata are off to a brilliant start.

CSK 3/1

What a start for Kolkata! Gaikwad walks back without disturbing the scorers. He departs on nought.

Oops! Umesh starts the tournament with a no-ball. He follows it up with a dot ball against Gaikwad on the free-hit.

Gaikwad, Conway open for Chennai. Umesh Yadav starts for Kolkata. Fielders have taken their positions.

Out come the umpires! Let the two-month celebration begin. It all started with Shane Warne leading Rajasthan Royals to the title.

Both teams line up for the national anthem. We are moments away from the start. Hold on to your seats!

For Kolkata, Rahane will open alongside Venkatesh. Sheldon Jackson will keep wickets with Sam Billings floating up the batting order.

Devon Conway also has big shoes to fill in. Bought for ₹1 crore in the recent mega auction, he is set to open alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad. The Kiwi batter replaces Faf du Plessis in Chennai’s batting force.

As Jadeja came out for the toss to begin a new chapter of his career, it will be interesting to see his batting position today. Dhoni could bat at No.6 at his usual position and marshall the team later on. But Jadeja could push himself up the other, given the fact that he’s been in phenomenal touch lately.

“We need a confident captain like Shreyas. He knows he is superstar. He just have confidence and that’s what we need. He is always so humble and relaxed,” says Russell on the new captain.

Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Venkatesh Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer(c), Nitish Rana, Sam Billings(w), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Sheldon Jackson, Umesh Yadav, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakaravarthy

Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja(c), Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni(w), Dwayne Bravo, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Tushar Deshpande

For Chennai, Conway, Bravo, Milne and Santner are the four foreign picks.

“Big shoes to fill in. Happy and excited for the new role. We are going with four foreign players,” says Jadeja.

“I am super excited. It is a great honour to don this jersey. The players who have been playing for this unit have been doing well,” says Shreyas.

“We are going in with three overseas players – Billings, Narine and Russell. Three of us got caps today. Myself, Billings and Rahane.”

Kolkata chase at the Wankhede! Shreyas’ selection was a no-brainer and Ajinkya Rahane, Sam Billings make their KKR debut.

Kolkata win toss and elect to bowl first. 

Jadeja will be wearing the captain’s armband today and it certainly will be an odd sight to see. “Sir” Jadeja begins his captaincy spell with one of the most successful T20 teams. Jadeja is the third player after Dhoni and former CSK batter Suresh Raina to lead the Yellow Unit.

CSK and KKR are set to begin a new chapter in their rivalry. We are moments away from the toss! Hold on to your seats. The IPL jamboree is about to start.

Both sides have a lot of veterans to provide some stability. While Chennai have got an abundance of experience in Dhoni, Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu and Dwayne Bravo, Kolkata rely on Sunil Narine and Andre Russell in that spectrum. KKR now also have to experienced faces – Ajinkya Rahane and Umesh Yadav.

Red-soil pitches will offer high-scoring encounters, plenty of sixes and hopefully some thrilling finishes. It won’t be a surprise if the team batting first posts 200-plus total on the board.

Dhoni’s exit from the leadership bunch has fuelled speculation whether he would feature in all the games. He may not be the captain but the talismanic player could be seen orchestrating things from behind the stumps.

It’s a repeat of last year’s final where the world witnessed Chennai clinch their fourth IPL title. Kolkata will be looking to exact revenge as Shreyas begins his captaincy journey with the two-time champions.

Rajvardhan Hangargekar, who was bought by Chennai for ₹1.5 crore in the recent mega auction, could also make his debut today. The 19-year-old shone in the recent U19 World Cup and also shone. He picked up wickets and hit some towering sixes as well.

Just under an hour to go for toss time! One can sense the excitement for the start of the two-month festival that perhaps will present fans with plenty of memories to cherish.

Also, fans are back in the stadium after a two-year gap. The energy is going to be electric today with shades of yellow and purple in stands.

We could see Narine’s mystery spin and his ability to score quick runs and Russell’s big-hitting sixes today. Both players were retained by KKR along with Varun Chakravarthy and Venkatesh Iyer.

Sam Billings, who has been a quality wicketkeeper-batter for England and Kent, will be Kolkata’s first choice keeper. They also have Sheldon Jackson, who has got plenty of domestic experience under his belt. 

It’s all about finding the perfect four overseas alternatives. Narine, Russell and Karunaratne can be the three foreign picks alongside Billings today.

Former India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane is set to begin journey with his new IPL franchise. He may not be a part of the current Test setup, but the experienced batter can come in handy for Kolkata. He’s also got the experience of playing on Mumbai pitches. It will be interesting to see his position in the batting order.

“MS can really enjoy his game. He can advise Jadeja without thinking about the over-rate and everything. He can relax now when it comes to responsibilities,” says Raina on Star Sports.

Jadeja certainly has got big shoes to fill. Chennai begin quest for fifth IPL title to match Mumbai’s record. Mumbai and Chennai have absolutely dominated the league but with two new teams, the competition is going to heat up.

“Dhoni will forever be our captain. But Jadeja has done well in the last few years,” says former CSK star on the captaincy transition on Star Sports.

KKR’s pace bowling department has got a big setback as New Zealand pacer Tim Southee won’t be available for the opener. Pat Cummins is also unavailable due to national commitments and the Umesh Yadav-Shivam Mavi pair has got a task at hand.

CSK opener Ruturaj Gaikwad took home the Orange Cap as he scored 635 runs in 16 games last season. Faf du Plessis, who slammed 633 runs for CSK, fell two runs short of matching the youngster. 

The Purple Cap went to RCB’s Harshal Patel, who bagged 32 wickets to equal Dwayne Bravo’s record of most plucks in a single IPL season.

“He’s a great buy. He could be the franchise player for KKR for the best part of the decade,” said KKR coach Brendon McCullum on their new skipper.

Jadeja’s stellar form in international cricket over the last couple of years would surely give him the confidence. 

Shreyas has also been in phenomenal touch for India of late. He hit three consecutive fifties against Sri Lanka and clinched player-of-the-series in India’s 3-0 rout.

For Kolkata, Shreyas Iyer’s form and leadership skills will matter the most. The talented batter was snapped up by KKR for ₹12.25 crore and was subsequently made the skipper. The franchise is set to begin quest for a third IPL title.

New Zealand batter Devon Conway is likely to make his IPL debut. He will open alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was among the top performers for Chennai last year. The Maharashtra youngster was the youngest player in IPL history to win Orange Cap.

Moeen Ali is set to miss the opener due to visa issues. He scored 357 runs from 15 innings for CSK in the IPL last year, and also plucked six wickets from 15 games with his off-spin.

Deepak Chahar is also unavailable for the first half due to a right quadriceps injury he sustained during India’s recent T20I assignment against West Indies.

Since 2019, CSK and KKR have met seven times in the IPL. KKR have emerged victorious only once out of seven games. They also have a poor record at the Wankhede. In 11 games so far at the venue, KKR have managed to notch up just one win. 

Furthermore, they have been on a losing streak of eights matches at the iconic ground.

Both sides have faced each other 25 times to date. CSK have a big advantage over KKR, having won 17 matches.

“Like Mahi bhai has already set a big legacy and we need to carry it forward, so hopefully I will. And I don’t need to worry too much because he’s here and whatever question I need to ask, I’ll definitely go to him,” said Jadeja on the new role.

Dhoni’s announcement took many fans by surprise and it will be an odd sight to see Jadeja walking out for the toss. But the all-rounder is confident to “fill in the big boots.”

Chennai have had an illustrious spell since the league’s inception in 2008. Their IPL record has four titles (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021) and five runners-up finishes (2008, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2019), making them one of the most consistent sides of the T20 league.

One of the most consistent sides since the tournament’s inception in 2008, defeated Kolkata to lift their fourth IPL title last year. Ravindra Jadeja will have a key role to play this year after his elevation to the leadership role. MS Dhoni on Thursday passed over the CSK baton to the all-rounder in a surprise announcement.

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the blockbuster season-opener between defending champions Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai!