IPL 2010: Dhoni Holds Nerve To Put Chennai Through

IPL 2010: Dhoni Holds Nerve To Put Chennai Through

Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed 54 in 29 balls as his side booked their place in the semi-finals.

©REUTERS / Action Images (File photo)

Chennai Super Kings 195-4 (Dhoni 54no, Badrinath 53) beat
Kings XI Punjab 192-3 (Marsh 88) by six wickets
Indian Premier League, Dharamsala
Scorecard

Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed a timely innings of 54 in 29 balls to guide his side into the Indian Premier League semi-finals with a six-wicket win over the Kings XI Punjab in Dharamsala.

Indian skipper Dhoni thumped two huge sixes to finish off the game in style, the Super Kings having needed 16 to win in the final over after the Kings XI Punjab had posted 192 for three.

Shaun Marsh blasted 88 not out in 57 balls to get his side to a score that until Dhoni and Subramaniam Badrinath (53) came together, looked like a winning one.

The Australia ended the innings 12 runs short of a second IPL century and he was supported by Irfan Pathan, who hammered 44 in 27 balls, and Kumar Sangakkara, who stroked 33 in 24 deliveries while opening partner Mahela Jayawardene got the innings and the match off to an explosive start with an entertaining cameo of 21 in seven balls.

Marsh hit eight fours and five sixes but he was to be overshadowed by Dhoni and Badrinath as the match went down to the wire.

The previous meeting between the two sides in the group stage had needed a Super Over to force a result and although such an outcome was not required, the drama was no less intense.

Openers Murali Vijay (13) and Matthew Hayden (5) fell cheaply, Vijay stumped and Hayden caught by Sangakkara as Ramesh Powar struck with the new ball.

Suresh Raina (46 in 27 balls) and Badrinath then added 63 for the third wicket before Raina was caught by Karan Goel off Juan Theron.

That brought Badrinath, who hit seven fours and two sixes in his 36-ball innings, and Dhoni, together, and they added a swift 59 for the fourth wicket, their stand broken when Badrinath was stumped, a decent spell from leg-spinner Piyush Chawla getting some reward.

Albie Morkel made an unbeaten 14 in eight balls and was at the other end as Dhoni finished off the game, hitting a four and then taking advantage of Chawla's misfield in the deep to take two from the second ball of Irfan Pathan's final over before launching him out of the ground twice to seal an important victory.

© Cricket World 2010

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