IPL 2018 points table: CSK go top after thumping win, RR remain 5th

PTI

CSK beat RR by 64 runs to register their third win in four games and go top of the 2018 IPL standings on Friday.

RR suffered their third defeat in five matches. However, the loss didn't affect their position in the table as they remained 5th.

Here is how all eight teams are placed after Matchday 14.  

TEAM M W L PT NRR

CSK 4 3 1 6 0.878
KKR 5 3 2 6 0.825
SRH 4 3 1 6 0.414
KXIP 4 3 1 6 0.277
RR 5 2 3 4 -1.043
MI 4 1 3 2 0.445
RCB 4 1 3 2 -0.861
DD 4 1 3 2 -1.399

Aussie Shane Watson scored his third IPL century (106 off 57 balls) and helped CSK to a thumping win. Chasing 205 to win, RR lost early wickets and never really recovered from there. Shardul Thakur removed Heinrich Klaasen (2) in the second over and after that Deepak Chahar took over.

Chahar bowled four overs on the trot and returned 2/30 to leave the Rajasthan chase in bad shape. First, he removed the in-form Sanju Samson (7) through a short ball as the RR batsman found Karn Sharma in the deep. Then in his next over, he got the big fish - Ajinkya Rahane. Cleaning up a batsman as accomplished as Rahane (16) is no small achievement but  Chahar used the knuckle-ball dexterously to rattle his stumps to tilt the game heavily in CSK's favour.

Ben Stokes scored a 37-ball 45 to be Rajasthan's highest scorer and that highlighted how poor the visitors were in their chase. They could only go as far as 140 all out in 18.3 overs.