Vijay, finally delivers: Urvil Patel powers CSK to first 180-plus chase in eight years

Chennai Super Kings had waited eight long years for this moment — not just a big chase, but a successful 180-plus chase, a milestone that had repeatedly slipped away even through their most successful seasons.

Despite winning two IPL titles in that period, CSK had never managed to overhaul a target beyond 180. In a league that has only grown more explosive, that gap had become an uncomfortable talking point. On Sunday at Chepauk, that narrative finally changed. CSK chased down 204 with four balls to spare, registering their first 180-plus chase since April 2018 and moving up to fifth place with six wins from 11 matches, tightening the mid-table playoff race.

More than the points, it was the manner of victory that stood out — a chase that broke a long-standing psychological barrier for a side often associated with calm control rather than high-risk run chases.

For Lucknow Super Giants, it was a game that slipped away after a flying start. Josh Inglis produced a sensational 85 off 33 balls, powering LSG to 112 in the first nine overs and setting up what looked like a 220-plus total. But the innings lost shape in the middle overs as Jamie Overton struck with a three-wicket burst and Noor Ahmad applied the brakes with tight, disciplined bowling.

URVIL PATEL IGNITES THE CHASE

The chase, however, belonged to Urvil Patel.

The 27-year-old wicketkeeper-batter delivered a defining IPL knock, smashing 65 off just 23 balls and equalling the record for the fastest fifty in the league’s history. His innings completely flipped the pressure onto LSG within the powerplay itself.

A known domestic powerhouse with previous explosive knocks — including a 28-ball T20 century and a 41-ball List A hundred — Urvil had shown flashes earlier in the season but never fully exploded in CSK colours. Having started the season out of the XI and only returning due to Ayush Mhatre’s injury, he made the opportunity count in emphatic fashion.

He launched a brutal assault in the powerplay, striking five sixes in five consecutive deliveries during one stretch, repeatedly targeting the mid-wicket region. Avesh Khan was taken apart in a single over that went for 20-plus runs, while Digvesh Rathi also suffered as Urvil continued to clear the boundary with ease.

By the end of six overs, CSK had raced to 97 for 1, with Urvil’s aggressive intent setting the foundation for the chase. Even Sanju Samson’s early dismissal — a phase where CSK have often faltered this season — did little to slow the momentum.

Though he briefly eased off after reaching his fifty, the damage was already decisive. The chase had been effectively seized in the powerplay, and from there CSK simply closed out a historic win that finally broke one of their most persistent modern-day batting barriers.