Chennai Super Kings contained Kolkata Knight Riders to a below-par total of 137 for nine in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash at Chepauk on Monday.
Experienced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and pacer Tushar Deshpande claimed three wickets each, while Bangladesh’s pace bowler Mustafizur took two, boosting his wickets tally to nine in the ongoing season, surpassing Rajasthan Royals’ Yuzvendra Chahal to reclaim the prestigious Purple Cap, awarded to the leading wicket-taker in the tournament.
“He’s been exceptional… Batsmen struggle to pick his variations. He has been outstanding,” Jadeja praised Mustafizur, handing him the Purple Cap at the end of the first innings.
Mustafizur, initially tight but wicketless in his opening two overs, struck twice in his final over. Commencing his spell after Deshpande dismissed Phil Salt for a duck on the first delivery, Mustafizur conceded only 12 runs in his initial two overs, including seven dot balls, showcasing his mastery with the cutter during the Powerplay.
Jadeja then dominated, taking three crucial wickets to leave Kolkata struggling at 64 for four, a position they couldn’t recover from.
Returning for the death overs in the 18th, Mustafizur missed out on dismissing dangerman Andre Russell as Mahendra Singh Dhoni couldn’t hold onto a straightforward one-handed catch behind the stumps. Despite bowling four dot balls to Russell, Mustafizur conceded nine runs, including a boundary off a no-ball and a wide.
