HYDERABAD, India (CMC) — West Indies allrounder Dwayne Bravo roared to a powerful half-century as Chennai Super Kings brushed aside King X1 Punjab by 65 runs in the second semi-final of the Champions League T20 tournament at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium yesterday.
Bravo smashed a top-score of 67 to pull Super Kings from a precarious slump to anchor a lopsided win and the right to contest the final on Saturday against Kolkata Knight Riders.
The Trinidad and Tobago cricketer gathered his runs in just 39 balls and was the main reason Super Kings managed 182 before bowling out Punjab for 117 in 18.2 overs.
He slashed, drove, cut and flicked, hitting seven fours and three sixes and revived Super Kings from a struggling 41 for three after Parvinder Awana’s destroyed the top order with a hat-trick.
Bravo steadied the innings in a 65-run partnership with Faf du Plessis, who scored 46.
Awana ended with four wickets for 30 runs, including the important wicket of MS Dhoni for a first-ball duck in the 17th over.
The match turned out to be a one-sided affair with Super Kings bowling arsenal stifling Punjab’s firepower.
Suresh Raina 31 and David Miller 22 were the leading scorers as Kings XI were bowled out for their second-lowest total.
They slipped from 24 for 4 to 34 for 6 in the eighth over and Miller was left to lead the tackle on a mammoth task of 149 needed off 75 balls.
Super Kings will meet Kolkata Knight Riders in the Champions League T20 finals on Saturday in Bangalore.
