IPL 2018, Match 5: Chennai Super Kings defeat Kolkata Knight Riders

Chennai Super Kings are known to take matters down right to the wire as they pulled off one of their biggest wins, chasing a mammoth target of 203 set by Kolkata Knight Riders and winning in style by five wickets in the Indian Premier Leagye, a perfect and stunning homecoming at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Sam Billings's maiden fifty was the difference in the chase as he reduced the deficit in an extraordinary fashion scoring his maiden half-century off 23 balls.

Russell hit an incredible 11 sixes in his 36-ball-88 as Kolkata Knight Riders scored a competitive 202 for six against Chennai Super Kings in an IPL encounter. The 'one-man' show was quite strong at Chepauk as the West Indies batsman went out with all guns blazing which can be conisidered an absolute thrashing by an all-rounder.

CSK captain MS Dhoni's strategy to use his slow bowlers in the initial stages on a surface aiding spin worked well but Russell had other ideas as he attacked the pacers including Shardul Thakur (1/37 in 4 overs) and Bravo (0/50 in 3 overs).

Chasing a target of 203 needed a blazing start and veteran Shane Watson was up for a challenge, hitting 42 off 19 balls with three fours and equal number of sixes in a 75-run opening stand with Ambati Rayudu (39 off 26 balls). Tom Curran making his IPL debut got rid of Watson with a short ball and Rayudu was accounted by Kuldeep Yadav as he tried an inside out shot.

MS Dhoni came on to bat in the third wicket and hung around for a while before being dismissed. The Chennai Super Kings skipper made 25 runs in 28 balls which included his classic 'Helicopter' six. 

This was after Englishman Billings set it up nicely with a magnificent 56 off 23 balls that five huge sixes apart from a couple of boundaries. The pressure put by Mahendra Singh Dhoni's slow batting (25 off 28 balls) was neutralised by Billings.  Billings took it upon himself as he hammered the Kolkata bowling unit and reduced the deficit enough before Bravo and Jadeja could finish matters off in style.

Chasing a stiff target of 203, CSK won the match with a ball to spare as Ravindra Jadeja deposited military medium stuff from R Vinay Kumar into stands. The India discard bowled a forgettable final over where CSK needed 17 runs to win.