Australia's left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann said he has received 'some awesome tips' about his craft from star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
The spinners kept a lid on the scoring with Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja taking wickets at regular intervals.
While CSK dropped as many as five catches, a couple of them sitters, Punjab were not too far behind as they floored four chances.
Having joined the four-time champions this season, Rahane lit the Wankhede as he hammered the fastest fifty this IPL season.
A seemingly invincible India will be eager to sharpen their game against spin and give a run to second-line players ahead of the semi-final when they take on New Zealand in their last group match of the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Sunday.
Jadeja applies 'ointment on sore finger'
Saurashtra's big hopes rests on how veteran Cheteshwar Pujara bats on the last two days.
Together, Harshit Rana's early strikes, Sunil Narine's clinical dismantling, and Varun Chakravarthy's suffocating spell reduced CSK to just 103 for 9-their lowest-ever total at home.
Tilak Varma, Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians!
Fascinating numbers from the India-Pakistan iconic cricket rivalry.
It was an optional session at the Supersport Park but for India skipper Rohit Sharma, skipping the nets wasn't an option.
Although India are playing a strong brand of 50-overs' cricket of late, they have some selection riddles to solve before they face Bangladesh in their opening match of the Champions Trophy.
'The 2018 series win in Australia stands out in his captaincy.'
With Mahendra Singh Dhoni being the same player and no one to "bell the cat", CSK are in unusual mess with a mis-firing top-order where the skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad has had to give up his opening slot.
ICC ODI Player of the Year Afghanistan's Azamatullah Omarzai would be able to join Punjab Kings only on March 20.
They will meet the winner of Wednesday's second semi-final between South Africa and New Zealand in the final in Dubai on Sunday.
After his stellar performance, Chakaravarthy credited senior players for helping him settle his nerves during the game.
Rohit Sharma, head coach Gautam Gambhir, Hardik Pandya, Shreyas Iyer, Varun Chakravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja were among the first ones to reach India.
IMAGES from the Champions Trophy final played between India and New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday.
Even shadow Purple Cup winner Prasidh couldn't escape Vaibhav's onslaught on Monday night!
Between them, Ashwin and Jadeja shared 47 wickets
Becomes only the second Indian to take 500 wickets and score 5,000 runs in international cricket.
Despite Dhoni's brief fireworks, his inability to deliver a decisive finish raised critical questions about CSK's batting strategy.
In IPL, he has previously worked with Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and Lucknow Super Giants.
As GT gears up to face Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2025 season, Nehra reaffirmed his confidence in captain Shubman Gill, who is in his second season as the franchise's leader.
Former India spinner R Ashwin has called for a shift away from the superstar culture prevalent in Indian cricket, urging for a more grounded approach.
Shubman Gill, who has been India's stand out batter in the tournament, was the only one who did not turn up for practice.
The friction started during India's arrival in Perth last month, when the Australian media criticised the visitors for holding private training sessions at the WACA.
'It was a test of character, a true pressure situation, and you responded with a phenomenal team performance.'
The duo, along with Ajinkya Rahane from CSK and Suryakumar Yadav from the Mumbai Indians, arrived at the team's training base located at the picturesque Arundel Castle cricket club in West Sussex.
The spin maestros delivered a masterful performance to dismantle the opposition's batting lineup.
Images from the ICC World Cup match between India and South Africa at the Eden Gardens, in Kolkata, on Sunday.
Jasprit Bumrah is also the second fastest Indian along with Ravindra Jadeja to complete 200 wickets in Test cricket.
Ravindra Jadeja said that there is no hierarchy in the CSK set-up and he has never felt that there is any bias for any particular player.
Successful in keeping opponents and vitriol at bay so far, India will have to rise above traditional bugbear New Zealand and a rigmarole of emotions surrounding stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to reclaim the Champions Trophy after 12 years in Dubai on Sunday.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Santner acknowledged India's superior game plan and their ability to dictate terms in the middle phase.
'His file has been closed. I have got no idea why they did that.'
Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has been left supremely impressed by the quality of youngsters in the Punjab Kings squad as well as the Indian T20 set up on the sidlelines of the IPL.
IMAGES from the World Cup match between India and South Africa played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances