Aryas 39 ball for Punjab sends Chennai to the fourth straight loss in IPL

Kolkata, India (AP) -The opening of the batter Priyansh Arya hit the joint fourth fastest century in the Indian Premier League when Punjab Kings handed over their fourth straight loss Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday. Arya’s (103) 39-ball hundred-powered Punjab to 219-6, despite five of his top six fighters who dropped for a joint score of 23 runs. Chennai lacked the fourth consecutive time in his running chase and limited to 201-5 to lose by 18 runs, as New Zealand left-hand opener Devon Conway was off the top with 69 out of 49 balls. Punjab’s third win in four games pushed them to number 4 on the scoring table. Earlier, Lucknow Super Giants had an exciting runs against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens with four runs. Nicholas Pooran (87 not out) and Mitchell Marsh, 81, who scored his fourth half-century in five games, took off the Kolkata Pacers to set up 238-3, Lucknow’s second highest IPL total. Kolkata was about to revise the high target at the back of Captain Ajinkya Rahane’s burning 61 of 35 balls, but four wickets in 14 deliveries undermined the chase and they lacked at 234-7. Aggressive Arya Stuns Chennai The 24-year-old opener of Delhi turned heads when he attacked six sixes in one last year during Delhi Premier League and was later selected by Punjab at the IPL auction. Arya beat Khaleel Ahmed’s first ball for a six until the fast bowler couldn’t hold on to return the next ball because Chennai was scarce to hold. The left hand got another opportunity at 35 when Vijay Shankar dropped a difficult catch on the middle wicket before completing his 19 balls of 19 balls in the batting power play. While Arya makes use of chances with its constant aggression at both pace and spinning of Ravichandran Ashwin, Punjab stumbled up to 83-5 in eight overs. But Arya did not hold back when he reached his first IPL hundred by beating Matheesha Pathirana for 6, 6, 6 and 4. Chris Gayle has the record of the fastest IPL hundred – off 30 balls – followed by Yousuf Pathan (37 balls), David Miller (38 balls) and Travis Head (39 balls). Arya beat nine sixes and seven fours before finally going out in 13th place in the long time while still having a big shot against Ahmad’s wrist spinner Noor Ahmad. No. 7 Battery Shashank Singh made unbeaten 52 out of 36 balls and with Marco Jansen (34 not out) Punjab carried past the 200 run with a uninterrupted stance of 65 runs. Chennai once again falls the New Zealand left-handed pair of Rachin RaVindra (36) and Conway provided Chennai a decent start of 61 from 39 balls, but Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad again turned and was cheap for 1 by Lockie Ferguson. Conway and Shivam Dube, 42, both got chances that the New Zealander dropped Jansen’s consecutive deliveries twice, and Ferguson couldn’t grab a simple Dube’s simple catch. Ferguson changed in 16th place and Dube Clean bowled a bowling ball and Conway retired when Chennai searched for the counterparts in the last two overs. Mahendra Singh Dhoni beat three sixes and a border in his 12-ball beat of 27, but with 28 needed from the final, he was brilliantly snapped at a short fine leg by Yuzvendra Chahal. Kolkata is fighting back at their home, Kolkata was in front of the running rate that is needed for so long thanks to a whirlwind of Rahane and Sunil Narine, who made 30 balls. They rushed to 90-1 in the batting power against Wayward Lucknow Pace Bowling. Rahane appears in another fertile 71-running partnership with Venkatesh Iyer until Lucknow has won the chase with four quick wickets. Shardul Thakur was at the beginning of the no. 13 five consecutive broad balls bowled out, but he started the slide when Rahane, trapped in the covers, had another complete throw. When fast bowler Akash Deep Iyer got in 16th place at 45, over three wickets fell into nine balls. Then Thakur followed by taking out Andre Russell in his last by another complete throw and the chance was again in Lucknow’s favor. With Kolkata Seven Down, all the pressure on Rinku Singh fell, but his unbeaten 38 of 15 was not quite enough. Marsh and Pooran Power Lucknow Aiden Markram and Marsh flatten Kolkata with their opening stand of 99 runs from 62 balls, followed by Pooran’s Blitz. Markram was undone by the full delivery of Rana who returned in the South African stumps. Marsh, who beat six fours and five sixes, and Pooran then knocked down 71 out of 30 balls until Marsh took to deep point. Pooran continued the punishment and erected his fifty of just 21 balls. He hit eight fours and seven boundaries in his unbeaten beat and lead the IPL bat cards. The match was rescheduled from Sunday at the request of the Kolkata police due to religious festivities in the city. ___