Chennai Super Kings crashed to their third defeat in seven matches as Lucknow Super Giants pulled off an eight-wicket victory in Lucknow on Friday.

There was no looking back for LSG after captain KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock gave them a 134-run opening stand in 15 overs. CSK finally found the breakthrough when De Kock edged an off-cutter from Mustafizur Rahman to Mahendra Singh Dhoni for 54 off 43 balls.

Rahul began on a cautious note but then dealt in boundaries. He reached his half-century with a cut off Ravindra Jadeja for a boundary.

Manendra Singh Dhoni once again entertained with a cameo as he scored 28 not out off 9 balls on Friday. PTI

Two overs after De Kock’s dismissal, Rahul tried to cut Matheesha Pathirana, but Jadeja dived to his left at backward point to bring off a superb catch. Rahul contributed 82 off 53 balls including nine boundaries and three sixes.

Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis completed the formalities, LSG reaching the 177-run target with six balls remaining.

Despite LSG winning comfortably, the match will be best remembered for another of Dhoni’s cameos.

Dhoni is still one of the best finishers in T20 cricket. Going by his recent record in the IPL, Adam Gilchrist even asked Rohit Sharma if he could convince the former India captain to play in the World Cup during a recent podcast.

Rohit’s reply was witty. “It would be easier to convince DK (Dinesh Karthik) than MS,” the Team India captain said.

Dhoni showed why he still commands respect when he slammed 28 off nine balls in the closing stages of CSK’s innings. It was mainly because of his late cameo that CSK reached 176/6.

Following three sixes in four balls against Mumbai Indians, Dhoni walked out with 13 balls remaining. He began with a six off the third ball in the final over by Yash Thakur and followed it up with a thick edge between short third and point for a boundary.

A couple of runs came off the fifth ball and then Dhoni slammed the wide yorker to send it crashing to the boundary behind point. Three fours and two sixes summed up his innings.

Moeen Ali had provided the fireworks in the 18th over after Jadeja held the innings together with a solid 57 not out off 40 balls. Barring Ajinkya Rahane’s 36 off 24
balls, the CSK top-order
struggled against a disciplined LSG attack.

CSK crawled to 113/5 with four overs remaining when Moeen gave Ravi Bishnoi the charge. He banged three back-to-back sixes — two on the leg side and one over long-off — before holing out to deep mid-wicket.

Even the likes of Shivam Dube struggled on a slow wicket as he could make only 3 off eight balls. Stoinis bowled an innocuous-looking short delivery, but Dube top-edged the pull which KL Rahul held on to next to the pitch.

CSK opener Rachin Ravindra’s (0) awful run with the bat continued.