Sunil Narine silences MS Dhoni (BCCI Photo)

NEW DELHI: On a night MS Dhoni resumed the captaincy mantle for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), it was Kolkata Knight Riders‘ Sunil Narine who stole the spotlight with a stunning all-round performance that silenced the Chepauk faithful on Friday.
The Ajinkya Rahane-led side, chasing a modest 104, romped to an eight-wicket win in just 10.1 overs, riding on Narine’s blitz and a collective bowling masterclass.
Dhoni’s return to leadership, following Ruturaj Gaikwad’s injury, was expected to lift CSK, but the veteran keeper-batter managed just 1 off 4 balls and fell LBW to the man of the moment, Sunil Narine, in the 16th over of the game.
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That moment, accompanied by stunned silence in the stands, summed up CSK’s woeful evening.
After opting to bowl, KKR’s spinners choked the hosts on a dry surface.
Narine led the charge with a mesmeric spell of 3 for 13, dismantling the middle and lower order with guile and bite.
His victims included Rahul Tripathi, Ravindra Jadeja, and Dhoni — three massive scalps that sucked the life out of CSK’s innings.
Only Shivam Dube (31 not out) and Vijay Shankar (29) showed resistance as CSK limped to 103/9, their lowest-ever IPL total at home and third lowest overall.
The rest of the lineup crumbled under the pressure applied by Narine, Harshit Rana (2/16), and Varun Chakaravarthy (2/22).
Narine wasn’t done yet.
Opening the chase, he launched into the CSK bowlers, smashing 44 off just 18 balls, with 5 sixes and 2 fours — a cameo that turned a modest target into a formality.
He fell just shy of a fifty, but by then, KKR were well on course.
Rahane (20 not out) and Rinku Singh (15 not out), finished the job, with the latter smashing a six off Jadeja to seal the emphatic win.
In the end, it was Narine’s night — ball, bat, and brilliance — as KKR humbled CSK and muted the Dhoni fairytale.