LSG's batsmen have been criticised this season for either not scoring quickly at the start, throwing away their wickets or leaving too much for Nicholas Pooran to do. On Friday, Rahul and de Kock did none of those things, putting on a century stand in just 10.5 overs to set up the chase.
Rahul was at the forefront of the partnership with strokes dripping with class. He middled his pulls against the short balls, drove confidently down the ground, played his usual pick-up shots and even took advantage of the pace of Matheesha Pathirana for a six.
Rahul often plays shots like this in T20s, but the frequency with which he hit them on this night was different. After collecting 12 off Deepak Chahar's second over - the third of the innings - including a six over midwicket, he hit Mustafizur Rahman for a six in the next over. And when de Kock and Rahul combined for 6, 4 and 6 in the fifth and sixth overs to take them to 54 in the powerplay, it was pretty clear that LSG were in pole position to get home comfortably.
LSG was helped further when de Kock miscued Jadeja in the ninth over, only for Pathirana to take the chance at short third slip. De Kock made CSK pay with a leg-spin boundary in Jadeja's next over before Rahul inflicted more pain with consecutive fours to take him past fifty.
At 74 off 54, the pair slowed down briefly before de Kock also reached his fifty. He fell for 54, caught by Dhoni trying to ramp a slower delivery from Mustafizur Rahman.
But Pooran came out intending to hit boundaries and finished off the innings with his third four to seal the chase with six balls to spare.