‘Amazing’ Mustafizur regains Purple Cap as CSK keep KKR at bay

Chennai Super Kings restricted Kolkata Knight Riders to a sub-par 137 for nine in their Indian Premier League (IPL) fixture at Chepauk on Monday.

Veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and pacer Tushar Deshpande grabbed three wickets, while Bangladesh paceman Mustafizur scalped two to raise his wickets tally to nine in the ongoing edition, surpassing Yuzevendra Chahal of Rajasthan Royals to regain the Purple Cap – given to the highest wicket-taker in the tournament.

"He's been very good... Batsmen are not able to read his slower. He has been amazing," Jadeja said of Mustafizur after handing him the Purple Cap following the close of first innings.

Mustafizur, who remained miserly but wicketless in his first two overs, picked both of his wickets in his last over.  

Starting proceedings after Deshpande removed Phil Salt for naught in the very first delivery of the match, Mustafizur conceded just 12 runs in his first two overs, which saw seven dots from the Cutter Master, bowled during the Powerplay.

Jadeja then wreaked havoc as the left-arm spinner picked three wickets to have Kolkata reeling at 64 for four – a position from where they could not recover eventually.

Returning to operate at the death in the 18th over, Mustafizur was denied dangerman Andre Russell's wicket as Mahendra Singh Dhoni failed to grab a pretty straightforward one-handed catch behind the stumps. Despite bowling four dots in that over, all to Russel, Mustafizur went for nine runs, which included a four off a no-ball and a wide.   

Fizz finally got his reward in his and the innings' final over as Jadeja took his 100th catch in the IPL, running from deep midwicket, to send Shreyas Iyer back to hut before Rachin Ravindra's catch saw the back of Mitchell Starc. He ended with impressive figures of 4-0-22-2.