CSK post 103 for 9 against KKR, their lowest ever score at Chepauk
Chennai (PTI): A completely disoriented Chennai Super Kings could manage only a paltry 103 for nine, their lowest total at the home ground Chepauk, as Kolkata Knight Riders dished out a clinical bowling show in their IPL match here on Friday.
It was CSK's third lowest total in the IPL and the lowest by any team in this edition so far.
Veteran spinner Sunil Narine (3/13) grabbed three wickets, while Harshit Rana and Varun Chakaravarthy got two each after CSK were invited to bat. Nothing went right for CSK in their home ground as they could hit just nine boundaries (4 or 6) in the entire innings.
Shivam Dube top-scored with an unbeaten 31 off 29 balls, while Vijay Shankar made 29 after living a charmed life. Only two other CSK batters made runs in double-digit figures.
Captaining CSK after Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out of the remainder of the IPL due to an injury, MS Dhoni could only make just one off four balls before getting out in the 16th over after coming out to bat at number nine.
CSK's powerplay woes continued as they made 31 for the loss of two wickets, the second lowest by any team in six overs this season. It could have been much lower but for the 13 runs scored in the sixth over with back-to-back fours from Shankar off Chakaravarthy.
Moeen Ali removed Devon Conway (12) in the fourth over, while Rana got the wicket of Rachin Ravindra (4) in the fifth as CSK were reduced to 16 for 2. The home side would have been three down during powerplay had Narine not dropped Shankar in the fifth over, failing to hold on to a sitter at mid-off.
Shankar's luck finally ran out in the 10th over as he holed out to Moeen, leaving CSK at 61 for 3 at the halfway stage.
KKR tightened the screw over CSK who lost their fourth wicket in the 11th over with the struggling Rahul Tripathi clean-bowled by Narine after a laboured 22-ball 16.
Ravichandran Ashwin came out ahead of Ravindra Jadeja and Dhoni and CSK would rue the decision as the India spin great was out for one run from seven balls.
CSK were in complete disarray when Jadeja (0) came out inevitably in the 14th over but he also lasted just two balls without any contribution, as he nicked to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock, becoming Narine's second victim of the day. The home side were 71 for 6 at that stage.
Deepak Hooda (0) fell in the next over for nought and Dhoni came out only at that stage after CSK were reduced to 72 for 7 in 14.2 overs.
The writing was on the wall for CSK and the Chepauk crowd fell silent when MS Dhoni was adjudged LBW off Sunil Narine. Dhoni opted for a review, seemingly indicating there was bat involved, but the decision stood, further denting CSK's hopes.
The third umpire took multiple looks but ultimately ruled Dhoni out as CSK were reduced to 75 for 8.
More than four overs were left after Dhoni's departure and CSK went past the 100-run mark, thanks mainly to Dube who was attended to by team physio towards the end.
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Delhi CM Rekha Gupta accuses Mamata Banerjee of stalling SIR; TMC hits back
Kolkata (PTI): Alleging that her West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee had approached the Supreme Court to stall the SIR exercise to prevent the identification of infiltrators, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday claimed that the people of the state have made up their minds to dislodge the Trinamool Congress from power.
The TMC countered strongly, urging Gupta to "look into her own backyard" and accused her of making absurd allegations against the TMC government without checking facts.
Addressing participants at the 'Nari Sankalp Yatra' organised by the BJP's women's wing at Science City auditorium here, Gupta alleged that the "hands-off" and appeasement policies of the TMC government had allowed thousands of infiltrators to enter the state in recent years.
She claimed that this had put a strain on basic rights such as access to water, electricity, ration, education, livelihood and the right to vote for genuine citizens.
"She wants to perpetuate this and hence is trying to stall the SIR exercise, which aims at identifying and deporting infiltrators. Imagine a chief minister going to the apex court to argue against an exercise meant to ensure free and fair polls," Gupta said.
The BJP leader alleged that appeasement politics had reached an "alarming level" under the TMC regime.
Raising concerns over women's safety, she claimed that women in the state were not secure despite having a woman chief minister.
Referring to the rape-murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Hospital, Gupta alleged that the state government had failed to respond adequately to such crimes.
She also referred to the alleged rape of a woman medic in Durgapur and another law student on a Kolkata college campus, claiming that criminals had been emboldened to commit brutalities against women.
She alleged that in crimes against women, overall crime incidents and child marriages, West Bengal remained among the top -- "a slur on a state which once led intellectual and social movements and set examples for the rest of the country," she said.
Criticising the state government's welfare initiatives, she said schemes such as Kanyashree were built on "false claims" and asserted that women needed security rather than assurances.
Accusing the state government of blocking central schemes, Gupta alleged that funds worth "lakhs of crores of rupees" had not reached the poor due to non-implementation of programmes such as Ayushman Bharat, PM Awas Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission by the state.
"You are only interested in renaming projects and taking credit," she said.
Gupta also alleged that the education sector in the state had been adversely affected, saying several state-run schools had closed due to a shortage of teachers and that the government was opposed to the National Education Policy.
Drawing a comparison with BJP-ruled Delhi, Gupta said, "People have already voted out 'Bhaia' (a reference to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal). Now it is your turn to bid farewell to 'Didi'." Calling upon women to resist what she termed "strong-arm tactics", she urged them to assert their strength, invoking the imagery of Goddess Durga.
"Bengal has the right to live with dignity, and women have the right to live with dignity," she added.
Reacting to Gupta's allegations, West Bengal Women and Child Welfare minister Shashi Panja accused her of making "absurd allegations" against the Trinamool Congress government ahead of elections.
Panja alleged that during Gupta's tenure in Delhi, several incidents had raised serious concerns, including reports of missing young women and a blast near the Red Fort.
She also criticised the air pollution situation in the national capital, claiming that people were struggling to breathe.
The TMC leader said that despite being in power for a year, Gupta was making "tall claims" instead of addressing key issues in Delhi.
Panja further alleged that the Delhi CM visited West Bengal during elections to "peddle false allegations" against the state government.
Rebutting Gupta, the TMC said in a post on X said, "Madam why did you go off-script again? For your edification, here are the cold, hard facts: In total cases of crimes (IPC + SLL), Bengal ranks a respectable 15th, far safer than BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, which languish near the bottom."
"In overall crime rate, Bengal sits comfortably at 28th. Who's second? Your own Delhi. Double Engine Gujarat and Haryana grab 4th and 5th as top-tier crime havens," the TMC said.
"In child marriage, Assam again takes the shameful pole position. And yet you dare lecture Bengal? Stop embarrassing yourself, stop the hypocrisy, and maybe fix the rotting mess in your own backyard before pointing fingers at a state that's outperforming your disasters on every key metric," the TMC countered.
