Chennai Super Kings was left reeling at the Chepauk Stadium as Punjab Kings ran out comfortable winners by seven wickets to maintain their slim, outside chance of a play-off spot. They also became only the second team to beat CSK five times in a row, an honour they now share with Mumbai Indians.
It was a far cry from CSK's stunning success against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), which snapped them out of a three-match losing streak. This time, their spinners stole the show, restricting CSK to 162 for 7. After Sam Curran opted to bowl on a sweltering evening in Chennai, Rahul Chahar and Harpreet Brar strangled the batting with two wickets apiece, both bowling four overs for no loss. Ruturaj Gaikwad's 62 held together an uneven 20 overs.
CSK was at a disadvantage when Deepak Chahar limped off after bowling the first two deliveries of the chase, leaving them a bowler short. Although Richard Gleeson made his IPL debut with the dismissal of Prabhsimran Singh, 64 from 37 deliveries between Jonny Bairstow and Rilee Roussouw put them ahead. Both could, and perhaps should, have taken the team home. But it was Curran and Shashank Singh who eventually waltzed over the line with 13 deliveries to spare.