Chennai Super Kings chase down Sunrisers Hyderabad in tense final over

Hyderabad can taste victory before leaving the UAE as they play winless Mumbai in Dubai on Wednesday

Dwayne Smith of Chennai Super Kings plays a shot during the Indian Premier League match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on April 27, 2014. Pawan Singh / The National

Paul Radley

SHARJAH // Among the myriad awards given out at Indian Premier League matches is one for the player who best kept his cool during the game.

They may as well retire the oversized bank cheque when Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are playing.

The concept for that award was probably thought up with MS Dhoni in mind.

While the majority of supporters at a packed Sharjah Stadium on Sunday were fretting over the result as CSK appeared to be botching their run-chase against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Captain Cool rose above.

The yellow army need not have worried, as their commander-in-chief clipped an easy four through mid-wicket with three balls left to settle the debate.

“I’m a positive guy, and whenever we have Dhoni out there I’m sure we can win, easy,” said Dwayne Smith, who was man of the match for his innings of 66 at the top of the order.

Smith, who has enjoyed a productive start to his career in the yellow of CSK, led from the front in the run chase.

The West Indian opener shared another decisive stand with his opening partner, Brendon McCullum, this time worth 85.

Victory meant CSK moved level on points with Kings XI Punjab at the top of the competition, having played a game more.

The most successful franchise in IPL history will fly back to India having won four of the five matches played in the UAE.

Hyderabad, by contrast, have just one win from four matches in the competition so far but have a chance to regain some lost ground in the table when they face the winless Mumbai Indians in Dubai on Wednesday.

“We struggled at the start with the bat, but we battled back well at the end,” said Shikhar Dhawan, the Sunrisers captain. “We planned for 150, but we had no idea the dew was going to come.

“It’s sad to lose the game, but that’s how it is. We will get up tomorrow and be back on the ground training.

“It’s a long tournament.”

Follow our sports coverage on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE