IPL 2019- Match 17: CSK vs KXIP Player Ratings

Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab locked horns at the Chepauk in a high voltage clash for the table-topper spot. The match surely lived up to its nickname, "battle of the Kings", as it was the captains who shone on either side, both with their individual performance and their shrewd tactical decisions.

However, it was MS Dhoni on the top, yet again, as he directed some clever bowling changes to deny Punjab what seemed to be a straightforward chase. Here are the player ratings from both sides.

Chennai Super Kings:

Shane Watson- 7/10: Watson chose to play the subdued second fiddle to his more aggressive opening partner Faf in another 50-partnership for Chennai. A magnificent straight six off Andrew Tye showed his hunger for more before Ashwin cut his stay short.

Faf du Plessis- 9/10: Faf played a delightful knock, studded with classic cover drives to outrageous ramp shots. With Watson holding the innings at the other end, Faf tore into the Punjab bowling to end with a quickfire 54 off 38. With Rayudu failing at the opening slot, Faf has made most of the opportunity given to him.

Suresh Raina- 3/10: Raina disappointed yet again, as he became the third scalp to the Kings captain with an uncharacteristic 17 off 20 balls. His complete misjudgment of Ashwin's turn was probably the direct result of Faf's dismissal in the previous ball. However, time does seem to be running out for Raina as another failure can put his spot in danger.

MS Dhoni- 9/10: It was "Thala" show once again at his favourite hunting ground, as Dhoni stayed till the end to finish things off for Chennai. He quickly brushed off his lukewarm performance against Mumbai with a blistering 37 off 23. During defending, his critical decisions like tossing the ball to Harbhajan against Gayle and choking the run flow in the middle overs using spinners silently edged Punjab out of the contest.

Ambati Rayudu- 7/10: Flexibility is the biggest plus of Rayudu as a player, as he quickly fitted into the new no. 5 spot with a reassuring knock of 21 off 15. This would definitely be a double benefit to the management as his replacement at the top had also fared well in the match.

Kedhar Jadhav- NA: Jadhav neither batted nor bowled, which is why he was not rated.

Ravindra Jadeja- 7/10: Jadeja stuck to his basics yet again- tight lines, wicket to wicket, choke the run flow. Though he did not take a single wicket, bowling his full quota with an economy of just six certainly turned the heat on the opposition.

Deepak Chahar- 3/10: Though Deepak Chahar was taken to the cleaners, and bowled a few erratic deliveries towards the end, he held his nerve towards the end, dismissing the dangerous David Miller and sealing the game for Chennai.

Harbhajan Singh- 10/10: With a maiden and two wickets, Harbhajan was the best player of the evening. That he delivered a twin strike, including the almighty Chris Gayle, even before Punjab could get their feet set, makes it sweeter. Rest assured that in the remaining home games on a slow Chepauk track, Bhajji has probably sealed his selection.

Scott Kuggelejin- 5/10: Scott's opening game for Chennai turned out to be a bittersweet affair as he returned with two wickets, both the top scorers of Punjab, but not before he was taken to the cleaners by the same guys.

Imran Tahir- 7.5/10: Tahir did the same job as Jadeja, albeit a little better, Giving away just 20 in his full quota, he was instrumental in building up pressure for the final overs.

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Kings XI Punjab:

Gayle's failure tremendously hurt the Kings.

Lokesh Rahul- 7/10: Rahul played a characteristic opener's knock, but his slow-paced innings ultimately led to a compounded pressure on the middle order as he could not accelerate according to the required run rate. This aspect brings down his rating a little. Maybe if the bails did fall off the blind throw of Dhoni, the outcome of this match could have gotten different.

Chris Gayle- 2/10: Once again, the Universe boss fell to the Turbanator as the latter outfoxed him with a rank turner that ripped off the pitch and kissed his bat to rest in Dhoni's gloves.

Mayank Agarwal- 0/10: When the need of the hour was to hang in and steady the ship, Mayank went unnecessarily tried the long handle and departed without troubling the scorers.

Sarfaraz Khan- 7.5/10: Though Sarfaraz top-scored in the match, the pace of his innings was also found to be too wanting at the end. The initial lull was expected after the fall of two quick wickets, but his failure to accelerate towards the end ultimately cost Punjab two points.

David Miller- 3/10: The stage was perfectly set for Miller to play his characteristic knock with 44 needed off 16. Though he started with a blistering dead-straight drive, Chahar got the better of him with a seething yorker.

Mandeep Singh- NA: By the time Mandeep came to the middle, the game was already over for Punjab.

Sam Curran- 3/10: Curran was taken to the cleaners during his bowling and could not provide the captain with a breakthrough which the team so desperately needed. With the bat too, he could not do much as he got to face just a solitary delivery.

Ravichandran Ashwin- 9.5/10: If Kings XI had won this match, Ashwin would have walked away with the MoM. Not only did he stem the run flow, but he also accounted for all the three Chennai wickets that fell. It was a sad sight to see him receiving no support from his bowlers barring Murugan.

Andrew Tye- 2/10: The opening bowler was expected to bowl tightly during the death as well, however, he neither stemmed the run flow nor provided any breakthroughs. If the same run continues, Tye's place in the playing XI is sure to be under scrutiny soon.

Murugan Ashwin- 7/10: A slow Chepauk pitch had a lot to offer for spinners, and Murugan too, took it with wide open hands. Accounting for identical figures as the skipper, sans the wickets, Murugan once again proved how big an asset he can be when the pitch suits him.

Mohammad Shami 2/10: Shami was the most expensive bowler of the evening as he was taken to the cleaners in both the initial and final overs. Though he may receive a longer rope then Tye, he needs to reclaim his rhythm quickly to bolster his team's chances in the tournament.

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