Vijay leads charge as Urvil Patel fires CSK to first 180-plus chase in 8 years

Chennai had waited eight long years for this moment. Not just a high-scoring chase, but a successful one over 180 — a milestone that had slipped past.

Them through title-winning seasons and painful near-misses. Even in their championship runs, Chennai Super Kings had never once chased down a target above 180. In an era reshaped by the Impact Player rule and ever-inflating T20 totals, that gap had begun to feel like a lingering tactical void.

On Sunday at Chepauk, that wait finally ended — and it came with a statement. CSK chased down 204 with four balls to spare, completing their first 180-plus chase since April 2018 and climbing to fifth place with six wins from 11 matches, tightening an already congested playoff race.

More than just two points, the victory carried symbolic weight. The inability to chase big totals had become a recurring narrative around CSK in recent seasons — a psychological hurdle as much as a tactical one. This time, they broke it cleanly.

For Lucknow Super Giants, it was a night that began with promise and ended in frustration. A blazing 85 off 33 balls from Josh Inglis had set them up for a total north of 200, with LSG racing to 112 inside nine overs. But the innings unraveled as Jamie Overton’s three-wicket burst and Noor Ahmad’s control through the middle overs halted their momentum, preventing what could have been a far bigger score.

URVIL PATEL STEALS THE SHOW

The chase, however, belonged to Urvil Patel.

The 27-year-old wicketkeeper-batter produced a blistering 65 off 23 balls, equalling the record for the fastest fifty in IPL history and setting the tone for CSK’s record chase.

Known in domestic circles for his explosive hitting — including a 28-ball T20 hundred and a 41-ball List A century — Urvil has long carried the reputation of a power-hitter waiting for a consistent platform. After being left out at the start of the season and only earning a recall due to Ayush Mhatre’s injury, he seized his opportunity emphatically.

He tore into the LSG attack from the outset, smashing five sixes in as many deliveries during the powerplay. Avesh Khan and Digvesh Rathi bore the brunt, with Urvil repeatedly targeting the mid-wicket region with clean, effortless striking. One over from Avesh alone went for three sixes, setting the tone for CSK’s surge.

By the end of the powerplay, CSK were 97 for 1, with Urvil responsible for the bulk of the damage. Even after Sanju Samson’s early dismissal — a phase where CSK have often faltered this season — the innings never lost momentum.

Though he missed the chance to push for an even faster landmark fifty, slowing briefly after his explosive start, the damage had already been done. The chase had effectively been settled within the first six overs.

From there, CSK merely completed the formality — and in doing so, finally exorcised one of their most persistent modern-day batting demons.