CHENNAI, May 4: Michael Hussey and Suresh Raina hit impressive half-centuries as Chennai Super Kings thrashed Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets for their fourth victory in a row in the Indian Premier League.

Hussey cracked 79 not out and shared 137 runs for the second wicket with Raina (61) to help Chennai overhaul Rajasthan’s 147-6 with eight balls to spare in hot and humid conditions at the Chidambaram Stadium.

The victory propelled Chennai to third spot in the points table while Shane Warne-led Rajasthan suffered their fourth defeat from 10 outings.

Chennai lost opener Murali Vijay early in their chase but Raina and the dependable Australian middle-order batsman Hussey ensured an easy victory for the defending champions.

Hussey hit eight fours and a six in his 55-ball knock to upstage a fine 66-run effort by Rajasthan’s Rahul Dravid.

Dravid gave Rajasthan a steady start, adding 86 with opening partner Shane Watson in 10 overs to set the platform for a good total after Warne won the toss and elected to bat in sweltering heat.

The veteran right-hander appeared in supreme touch during his 51-ball knock, unleashing classic as well as improvised shots on either sides of the wicket against both spinners and pace bowlers.

The former Indian captain even outscored the in-form Watson, who hit five fours before being caught brilliantly by left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati off his own bowling for a 26-ball 32.

Watson’s dismissal triggered a collapse with Rajasthan losing the next five wickets, including that of Dravid, for the addition of 53 runs.

Dravid perished while attempting to pull a short ball to midwicket off Sri Lankan off-spinner Suraj Randiv, whom he once hit for three fours in an over.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, Yusuf Pathan smashed an unbeaten 47 and Iqbal Abdulla grabbed two quick wickets as Kolkata Knight Riders posted a 20-run win over Deccan Chargers in Hyderabad.

Pathan hit three sixes and as many fours in his 26-ball knock to help Kolkata reach 169-4 before left-arm spinner Abdulla got two wickets in three balls to restrict Deccan to 149-6.

It was Kolkata’s sixth victory and Deccan’s sixth defeat in nine matches of the Twenty20 tournament.

Abdulla put Deccan under pressure in his second over when he dismissed opener Sunny Sohal (26) and skipper Kumar Sangakkara, who failed to open his account.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan top-scored for Deccan with a 45-ball 54 before being bowled by South African paceman Jacques Kallis in the 18th over. He added 56 for the fifth wicket with Ravi Teja (30).

Pathan, dropped twice during his brisk knock, and Manoj Tiwary (33) earlier helped Kolkata set a challenging target as they added 80 runs in eight overs for the fourth wicket.

Kolkata were 84-3 in the 12th over after Kallis and skipper Gautam Gambhir (35) fell in the space of four deliveries before making a strong finish, thanks to middle-order batsmen Pathan and Tiwary.

Gambhir, who exchanged words with Australian seamer Daniel Christian, hit one six and three fours in his 22-ball knock while Kallis cracked four boundaries in his 31-ball innings.

Results:Chennai Super Kings beat Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets.RAJASTHAN ROYALS 147-6 in 20 overs (R. Dravid 66, S.R. Watson 32; S.B. Jakati 2-22, J.A. Morkel 2-24); CHENNAI SUPER KINGS 149-2 in 18.4 overs (M.E.K. Hussey 79 not out, S.K. Raina 61).

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Deccan Chargers by 20 runs.

KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS 169-4 in 20 overs (Yusuf Pathan 47 not out, G. Gambhir 35, M. Tiwary 33, J.H. Kallis 30); DECCAN CHARGERS 149-6 in 20 overs (S. Dhawan 54, R. Teja 30, S. Sohal 26, R. Bhatia 2-26, Iqbal Abdulla 2-34).—AFP