Punjab Kings produced a fine performance on Wednesday as they comprehensively defeated top-four contenders Chennai Super Kings to keep their playoff chances alive in IPL 2024. After asking the Super Kings to bat in the latter’s home turf, PBKS restricted Ruturaj Gaikwad’s men to 162/7 before chasing the target down with 13 balls to spare.
Interestingly, this was Punjab Kings‘ fifth successive win over the defending champions in IPL; only Mumbai Indians have reached this feat in the league’s history. PBKS’ official X, formerly Twitter, account was particularly eventful as the Kings displayed a dominant outing and didn’t relent from engaging in consistent banter over pop culture references concerning Chennai and MS Dhoni.
One of the memes on Dhoni that circles the social media platforms is the famed ‘Thala for a reason’, referring to the former CSK captain’s jersey no.7. The PBKS, on multiple occasions, dropped references to the meme and their posts did become viral on the social media platform, triggering many reactions.
“Dhoni was our 7th wicket today! Thala for a reason!” the Kings wrote when Dhoni was dismissed during CSK’s innings in the match.
Following the win, PBKS made the reference again, this time relating the meme to their position on the league table. “Our position in the points table! Thala for a reason!” they wrote.
Interestingly, two years ago, Punjab Kings famously posted a short audio of referee blowing the full-time whistle after their win over the Chennai Super Kings; this was in reference to CSK’s iconic ‘whistlepodu’ anthem.
Troubles brewing for CSK?
Powered by quickfire innings from Jonny Bairstow (46 off 30 balls) and Rilee Rossouw (43 off 23 balls), Punjab Kings chased down Chennai Super Kings’ modest total of 162 while losing just three wickets. On the other hand, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad was the lone warrior for CSK in their innings, as he anchored CSK’s innings with 62 off 48 balls.
The victory propelled Punjab Kings to seventh place on the points table with eight points, while Chennai Super Kings maintained their fourth position with 10 points.
CSK’s spin duo of Moeen Ali and Ravindra Jadeja struggled to make an impact due to the dew factor. Additionally, their pace spearhead Deepak Chahar had to leave the field with a niggle after bowling just two balls, further hampering their bowling attack.
Meet Mahtab Ahmad, known for his keen insights into the latest trends and news. Join Mahtab on his blog, where every post is a exploration of the ever-evolving now.