Watson (83 not out) and Du Plessis (87 not out) ensured that there was no close finish this time, reducing the match to a 'no-contest' with their authoritative batting.
IPL 2020: Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis conjured up commanding unbeaten half-centuries as Chennai Super Kings demolished Kings XI Punjab by 10 wickets to snap their string of losses within the Indian Premier League (IPL) in Dubai on Sunday.
CSK relished a much-needed victory after three defeats in a row, overhauling a 179-run target with remarkable ease.
Watson (83 not out) and Du Plessis (87 not out) ensured that there was no close finish this time, reducing the match to a 'no-contest' with their authoritative batting.
The seasoned Australian punished the KXIP bowlers with 11 fours and three sixes in his 53-ball unbeaten knock while du Plessis hit 11 fours and a six from 53 balls to also remain not out.
Except Mohammed Shami, KXIP didn't have a bowler who could trouble the opposition batsmen and CSK exploited it to the fullest as they moved to sixth spot from bottom with this confidence-boosting win.
Skipper KL Rahul had hit a well-paced 63 to lead Kings XI Punjab to a competitive 178 for four after electing to bat but within the absence of fine bowlers it absolutely was an onerous task to stop the experienced CSK brigade.
Rahul's risk-free 63 came off 52 balls with the help of seven fours and a six as he shared a 61-run stand with fellow opener Mayank Agarwal (26) then raised a 58-run partnership with Nicholas Pooran (33 off 17).
KXIP looked set for a much bigger total but both Pooran and Rahul were dismissed by pacer Shardul Thakur off successive balls within the 18th over.
CSK, like their rivals, also need to a solid start with openers — du Plessis and Watson — creaming off 60 runs within the Powerplay overs.
They didn't exactly set the field on fire but an efficient strokeplay helped them begin the chase in right earnest.
The Aussie-Protea duo blended caution with aggression, picking the right deliveries to attack. They raised the team hundred within the 10th over.
Watson got to his fifty with consecutive boundaries off Chris Jordan while du Plessis raised his own with a single off the same bowler.
With nothing working for KXIP, Watson and du Plessis only became more dominant as the game progressed.
Earlier, Rahul and Agarwal were cautious. No lofted shot was played till the last over of the Powerplay with the 2 batsmen preferring to drive along the ground. It had been also because Deepak Chahar and Sam Curran hardly pitched it short.
Even if Agarwal and Rahul opened their arms it had been to slap the balls outside the off stump, when there was enough room to do that.
CSK captain MS Dhoni introduced spin within the seventh over with Ravindra Jadeja, who created an opportunity too but Agarwal's hit fell just short of a diving du Plessis.
Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla succeeded in getting the breakthrough when Agarwal pulled one straight to Curran. The openers added 61 runs in 8.1 overs.
Mandeep Singh, playing his first game of the season, joined his skipper and made an impression immediately. He creamed off two sixes off Chawla within the 11th over to start out the fireworks.
Jadeja soon got rid of dangerous-looking Mandeep, who scored 27 off 16 balls.
Rahul, who had adopted a risk-free approach till then, completed his half-century with a six off Thakur and followed that up with a four. Pooran too looked for boundaries as KXIP began the acceleration.
The West Indian hit three sixes in his short 33-run knock, which ended while searching for another big shot off Thakur. He added 58 runs with Rahul, who was out next ball, caught behind. it was Dhoni's 100th catch in IPL.
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