Cricket – Opening batter Priyansh Arya hit the joint fourth-fastest century in the Indian Premier League as Punjab Kings handed Chennai Super Kings their fourth straight loss yesterday.
Arya’s 39-ball hundred (103) powered Punjab to 219-6 despite five of its top six batters falling for a combined score of 23 runs.
Chennai fell short for the fourth successive time in its run-chase and got restricted to 201-5 to lose by 18 runs as New Zealand left-handed opener Devon Conway top-scored with 69 off 49 balls.
Punjab’s third win in four games pushed them to No. 4 on the points table.
Earlier, Lucknow Super Giants clinched a thrilling run-fest against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens by four runs.
Nicholas Pooran (87) and Mitchell Marsh (81), who notched his fourth half-century in five games, decimated the Kolkata pacers to put up 238-3, Lucknow’s second-highest IPL total.
Kolkata was on the verge of overhauling the tall target on the back of captain Ajinkya Rahane’s blazing 61 off 35 balls but four wickets in 14 deliveries undermined the chase and they fell short at 234-7.
Arya whacked Khaleel Ahmed’s first ball for a six before the fast bowler couldn’t hold onto a regulation return catch of the next ball as Chennai was scratchy in holding onto catches.
The left-hander got another opportunity on 35 when Vijay Shankar dropped a difficult catch at mid-wicket before he completed his half century off 19 balls inside the batting power play.
While Arya capitalised on chances with his continuous aggression against both pace and spin of Ravichandran Ashwin, Punjab stumbled to 83-5 in eight overs.
But Arya didn’t hold back as he reached his maiden IPL hundred by smacking Matheesha Pathirana for 6, 6, 6, and 4.
Arya smashed nine sixes and seven fours before he eventually holed out at long-on in the 13th over while going for another big shot against wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad of Afghanistan.
Shashank Singh made 52 off 36 balls and together with Marco Jansen (34) carried Punjab past the 200-run mark with an unbroken 65-run stand.
The New Zealand left-handed pair of Rachin Ravindra (36) and Conway provided Chennai a decent start of 61 off 39 balls, but captain Ruturaj Gaikwad yet again faltered and was dismissed cheaply for 1 by Lockie Ferguson.
Conway and Shivam Dube (42) both got chances with the New Zealander twice getting dropped of Jansen’s successive deliveries and Ferguson couldn’t grab a simple catch of Dube at point.
Ferguson made amends and had Dube clean bowled of a knuckle ball in the 16th over and Conway got retired out as Chennai looked for counterpunch in the final two overs.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni struck three sixes and a boundary in his 12-ball knock of 27. But with 28 required off the final over, he was brilliantly snapped at short fine leg by Yuzvendra Chahal.
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