The Chennai Super Kings overcame the Kolkata Knight Riders by 32 runs in their IPL 2026 match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here on Tuesday, thanks to a superb bowling display led by Noor Ahmad and Anshul Kamboj that complemented a stellar batting performance.
In spite of late resistance from Ramandeep Singh and Rovman Powell, CSK managed to keep KKR to 160/7 in 20 overs while successfully defending a respectable 192/5.
Sunil Narine and Finn Allen began KKR’s chase with an experimental approach. Allen’s cheap dismissal by Kamboj in the second over gave CSK an early breakthrough, while Narine showed early intent with a few sixes.
Khaleel Ahmed bowled out Narine in the powerplay, leaving KKR in trouble at 36/2 after six overs—their worst powerplay total since 2024.
With a combination of boundaries and sixes, Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi made an effort to rebuild, momentarily increasing the scoring rate.
But in the middle overs, CSK’s spin assault turned the game around significantly. Before Noor’s game-changing performance, Akeal Hosein severed the partnership by dismissing Raghuvanshi. Rahane was dismissed by the Afghan left-arm wrist-spinner, who then quickly took out Cameron Green for a golden duck and later Rinku Singh, disrupting KKR’s chase.
Noor consistently troubled batters with his variations and exploited the Chepauk surface, finishing with an outstanding 3/21. At 91/6, his magic brought KKR back from a position of rehabilitation to serious difficulty.
As the required rate increased, Ramandeep (35 off 23) and Powell (31 not out off 22) formed a competitive partnership, keeping KKR’s hopes alive with intermittent boundaries. But CSK’s controlled bowling kept the goal from being scored.
With a score of 2/32, Kamboj came back at the last minute to win the game. He dismissed Ramandeep in the second-to-last over and gave up only 12 runs in the last over to finish the match.
Earlier, CSK chose to bat and scored a respectable 192/5. Ayush Mhatre, a young batsman, got off to a lightning start with a 17-ball 38, and Sanju Samson led the way with a smooth 48.
With a well-constructed 41, Dewald Brevis gave the middle overs a boost, which helped CSK rebound from a little lull.
Despite the best attempts of KKR’s bowlers, notably Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy, to turn things around in the middle overs, CSK’s aggressive start ultimately proved to be the deciding factor.
With the victory, KKR remain winless and are struggling for consistency in their batting, while CSK have now won two games in a row.
Brief scores:
Chennai Super Kings 192/5 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 48, Dewald Brevis 41, Ayush Mhatre 38; Kartik Tyagi 2/35)
Kolkata Knight Riders 160/7 in 20 overs (Ramandeep Singh 35, Rovman Powell 31*; Noor Ahmad 3/21, Anshul Kamboj 2/32)