CSK's reign in Dhoni's den after rain

RANCHI: The capital of Jharkhand is the second home of Chennai Super Kings as the team is helmed by MS Dhoni, Ranchi's most famous son.
CSK did not disappoint the capacity crowd at the JSCA stadium on Friday, eking out an easy 34-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders.
After heavy rains delayed the start of the match by an hour and 40 minutes, the match was reduced to a 17 overs-a-side game.Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat and his team put up a competitive 148/3.
KKR were never really in the hunt and finished at 114/9. Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the CSK bowlers with four for 12.
Earlier, Brendon McCullum (56 off 40 balls) was the chief architect of the CSK innings while there were useful contributions from Suresh Raina (31 off 25 balls), skipper MS Dhoni (22 off 17 balls) and Ravindra Jadeja (17 off 10 balls).
McCullum mixed caution with aggression to hold the CSK innings together with an organised innings studded with five fours and two hits over the fence.
The Kiwi, who has become a more composed batsman now, probably after becoming captain of his national team, punished poor deliveries to lead Chennai Super Kings charge.
He drove, pulled and cut with ease and brought up his fifty by pulling South African veteran Jacques Kallis for a huge six.
Asked to bowl first by Dhoni, KKR, without any genuine quick bowler in the playing XI, decided to start with spinners Shakib Al Hasan and Sunil Narine.
Just when it seemed CSK openers Dwayne Smith and McCullum were going to maul the KKR attack, Shakib gave the team its first breakthrough by trapping Smith plumb in front of the stumps.
McCullum was then joined by the most successful batsman in IPL history, Suresh Raina, who played a steady innings to build a good platform for his team.
STORY OF THE MATCH
140.00: McCullum's Strike Rate: The Kiwi has been in tremendous form all through the UAE sojourn and he tormented his former franchise with a brilliant 40-ball 56 with five fours and two sixes.
12.50: Russel's Economy Rate: The Jamaican all-rounder is a better batsman than bowler as his stints in the World T20 and the outings with Daredevils showed. On Friday too, he bowled on both sides of the pitch and suffered.
TALKING POINT
Gautam Gambhir registered yet another failure on Friday and the time has come for the KKR skipper to take a call on himself. A break perhaps may do wonders for the new daddy.