IPL 8: CSK on top of table after win over Kings

MOHALI: It may not have been the perfect game for Chennai Super Kings but skipper MS Dhoni will be more than pleased with the result going into the Playoffs.
Scorecard
CSK's comfortable seven-wicket win in their last league game against Kings XI Punjab at the PCA stadium on Saturday ensured the top spot in the points table and a chance to play in the first qualifier against the second placed team at the Wankhede in Mumbai on Tuesday.
Full Coverage: Indian Premier League
KXIP virtually offered CSK the match on a platter by pro viding a turning track, despite CSK boasting spinners of the quality of Ravichandran Ash win and Ravindra Jadeja.
With back-up bowlers like Pawan Negi (named man of the match) and Suresh Raina, the home batsmen were always going to struggle against the spin, even though KXIP opted to bat first.
They were restricted to 1307, a total that was hardly going to trouble CSK, especially as KXIP themselves did not have any quality spinner barring Axar Patel.
The home team lost their top order to the spin trio of Ashwin, Jadeja and Negi and if KXIP were able to post a total which could be termed as 'fighting', it was only due to a rearguard effort from Axar Patel and Rishi Dhawan.
The CSK spinners between them bowled 12 overs and gave away just 65 runs, taking four wickets. That took the steam out of the KXIP challenge.
During the chase, CSK lost a couple of early wickets in form of Mike Hussey and Brendon McCullum. Hussey was playing his first match and lasted barely four balls.
McCullum was playing his last game before he joins the New Zealand squad for the Test series in England, and faced just six deliveries. It was obvious CSK wanted to ease Hussey into the team before McCullum's departure but the plan did not work.
However, Faf du Plessis and Suresh Raina ensured that CSK did not face any hiccups with a dominating partnership. After du Plessis departed after completing his half-century, Raina, in the company of Dhoni, completed the formality.
23 Number of stumpings effected by Mahendra Singh Dhoni in IPL. He is now at par with Dinesh Karthik.The two now share the record for most stumpings in IPL. Dhoni's tally of 77 dismissals is the second only to Karthik's 79.
436 Run-aggregate of Brendon McCullum at an average of 33.53, including a hundred and two fifties, in 14 matches ­ his best in an IPL season.
Follow TOI Sports on Twitter >> @TOISportsNews