Kagiso Rabada and Rilee Rossouw couldn’t prevent the Punjab Kings from suffering a 28-run loss to the Chennai Super Kings on Sunday.

Rabada went wicketless in his three overs while conceding 24 runs as Chennai posted 167-9.

Rossouw was then bowled for a duck, with Punjab’s run chase falling well short.

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was the star for Chennai, top-scoring with 43 off 26 balls with the bat before returning figures of 3-20 from his four overs of left-arm spin.

Chennai’s sixth win in 11 matches saw them climb to third in the table.

The performance from the veteran Jadeja comes as a welcome sign ahead of the T20 World Cup in June in the West Indies and the USA.

Chennai suffered an early blow with Sri Lanka pace bowler Matheesha Pathirana set to return home due to a hamstring injury.

Pathirana, called “Baby Malinga” for his slinging action modelled on former Sri Lanka quick Lasith Malinga, was Chennai’s standout bowler and took 13 wickets in six matches.

But medium-pace bowler Tushar Deshpande took on the responsibility in the absence of Pathirana and injured Deepak Chahar as he struck twice in his first over and Punjab’s second in the chase.

Deshpande sent Jonny Bairstow, bowled for seven, and then Rossouw trudging back to the pavilion in the space of four balls.

Prabhsimran Singh, who made 30, and Shahshank Singh, who hit 27, attempted to rebuild in their stand of 53 but their departure triggered a collapse.

Jadeja struck regular blows including captain Sam Curran to rattle the middle-order and derail the opposition chase.

Earlier, Chennai suffered from a lack of partnerships despite a second-wicket stand between captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who hit 32, and Daryl Mitchell, who struck 30.

Jadeja took charge and with some help from the middle order as he took Chennai to a par total at the picturesque ground overlooking the Himalayas.

But the Sunday crowd were left disappointed when veteran MS Dhoni was bowled for a first-ball duck off a slower ball from Harshal Patel, who along with Rahul Chahal took three wickets each.

Jadeja smashed three fours and two sixes before departing in the 20th over from left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh.

In the second match of the day, red-hot Sunil Narine smashed 81 off 39 balls to help the Kolkata Knight Riders thrash the Lucknow Super Giants by 98 runs and take top spot on the log.

Narine’s blitz, laced with six fours and seven sixes, guided Kolkata to 235-6 after they were invited to bat first in Lucknow’s final home game.

Two-time champions Kolkata bowled out Lucknow for 137 in 16.1 overs for their eighth win in 11 matches and almost guaranteed a playoff berth. The second-placed Rajasthan Royals have played one match fewer.

© Agence France-Presse

Photo: BCCI