A rare batting collapse by the much vaunted Chennai Super Kings batting line-up saw them get bundled out for a paltry 118 in 19.4 overs against Trinidad & Tobago in their final group league match of the Champions League Twenty20 here today.
After putting CSK into bat, Denesh Ramdin marshalled his resources well as the bowlers performed as a unit with a disciplined effort. The 'Men In Yellow' didn't do their cause in any good with shoddy running between the wickets that led to three run-outs.
For T&T, Rayad Emrit (3 for 21) was the most successful bowler while Lendl Simmons and Ravi Rampaul claimed two wickets apiece.
Only three CSK batsmen - Murali Vijay (27), Suresh Raina (38) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (25) reached double figures while six of the other seven batsmen failed to even cross five-run mark.
There was middle-order collapse with Dwayne Bravo (2), Ravindra Jadeja (3), Albie Morkel (4) and S Badrinath (3) all getting out cheaply.
Earlier, Ravi Rampaul gave the visitors a perfect start when he removed Michael Hussey (1) in the second over of the innings. Rampaul, who went wicketless in the last two games after grabbing four in his team's opening match against the Titans, got the ball to come in from good length, castling Hussey's off-stump.
Vijay and in-form Suresh Raina then forged a 55-run stand in 39 balls for the second wicket to set up a decent platform for the hard hitters after Hussey went cheaply.
CSK made a decent start with 48 runs being scored in the six overs of mandatory Powerplay.
Just when the duo looked settled for more, Vijay played a loose shot off gentle medium pacer Lendl Simmons and played on to the stumps. Vijay failed to convert on a start (27, 23 balls) that included four exquisite boundaries on the off-side.
Dhoni walked in to a rousing welcome by a packed holiday crowd here at the the Feroze Shah Kotla stadium. But the CSK skipper, who had been in brilliant touch, could not replicate the magical knock he played against Sunrisers Hyderabad as his careful run-a-ball knock of 25 included just two fours.
