NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings kept their IPL playoff hopes alive with a thrilling two-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders, effectively knocking the defending champions out of contention on Wednesday.Chasing 180, CSK got over the line with two balls to spare. Dewald Brevis led the charge with a blistering 52 off just 25 balls, while Shivam Dube contributed a vital 45. Skipper MS Dhoni stayed unbeaten on 17 to guide his team home in the tense finish.For KKR, Vaibhav Arora was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 48. Harshit Rana (2/43) and Varun Chakaravarthy (2/18) also chipped in with two wickets each.Earlier, after electing to bat, Kolkata posted 179 for 6. Captain Ajinkya Rahane top-scored with 48, while Andre Russell (38) and Manish Pandey (36 not out) made valuable contributions.For CSK, Noor Ahmad starred with the ball, claiming four wickets.This was the first time since 2019 that CSK successfully chased a target of 180 or more in the IPL. They had lost 12 consecutive matches while chasing 180+ totals prior to this win. Only Punjab Kings (15 between 2015-2021) have endured a longer losing streak in such chases, while Royal Challengers Bengaluru also had 12 unsuccessful attempts from 2019 to 2023.CSK’s chase of 180 is now the second-highest successful run chase in IPL history after being 75 or fewer for 5 wickets. They were 60 for 5 at one stage. The only higher successful chase in such a scenario came earlier this season when Delhi Capitals chased down 210 after being 65 for 5 against LSG in Vizag.
