Punjab triumph in the battle of Kings!

Kings XI Punjab shocked Chennai Super Kings to sneak home to a thrilling victory via Super Over.

Chennai: Kings XI Punjab made a sensational fightback before scripting a dramatic victory over Chennai Super Kings via one-over eliminator in an Indian Premier League match here on Sunday.

Put into bat, Kings XI made a modest 136 for eight and defeat wrote all over their face after the home team was 96 for one by the 14th over. But after that the visitors made a remarkable fightback to restrict CSK to 136 for seven from the 20 overs to set up IPL 3`s first one-over eliminator.In the super over bowl out, CSK made nine runs off the bowling of Juan Theron by losing two of their three nominated batsmen -- Matthew Hayden (0) and captain Suresh Raina (8) -- while Albie Morkel made one.Batting second, Kings XI Punjab made 10 for one with Yuvraj Singh hitting a four from the fourth ball off Muttiah Muralitharan to set up the dramatic victory. Mahela Jayawrdene was out in the second ball after hitting a six off the first. The third nominated batsman Irfan Pathan did not face a single ball in the super over. With the win, Kings XI Punjab snapped their three-match losing streak and opened their account -- two points from four matches -- in IPL 3. For CSK, this was their second loss in four matches after their defeat to Deccan Chargers in their first match. Earlier, Muttiah Muralitharan produced a superb spin bowling display with three for 16 as Chennai Super Kings restricted Kings XI Punjab to 136 for eight in their Indian Premier League here today.
Muralitharan dismissed visiting captain Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Mohammed Kaif as CSK produced a disciplined bowling performance after captain Suresh Raina asked Kings XI to bat after winning the toss. Pacers Albie Morkel and Lakshmipathy Balaji also bowled well by taking two and one wicket respectively by conceding 23 and 29 runs from four overs each. For Kings XI, who had lost their three earlier matches, Yuvraj Singh top-scored with a 28-ball 43 which had four fours and two sixes in it while opener Irfan Pathan made 39 from 32 balls. Kings XI did not have a great start with in-form opener Ravi Bopara out for just one in the third over. Bopara, who had two half centuries from his three earlier matches, top-edged a Morkel delivery for Balaji to take an easy catch near the boundary. Pathan, who was promoted to open the innings after his fine batting in Kings XI`s previous match, produced some fireworks in front of a near capacity crowd at MA Chidambaram Stadium with some lusty blows off Ravichandran Ashwin including a huge six. But at the other end, another wicket fell in the form of captain Sangakkara (15) stumped by Chennai wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel in the ninth over. PTI