Chennai Super Kings rather limped over the line to move level at the top of the Indian Premier League table with a five-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit a boundary from the third ball of the final over to see his side past the Sunrisers' total of 145-5, though Chennai made heavy weather of their run chase.

Openers Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum looked to have laid the platform for a comfortable victory with a stand of 85 before the latter was bowled by Karn Sharma for 40, having hit two sixes and the same number of fours.

Suresh Raina made 14 and although he and West Indies all-rounder Smith, who top-scored with 66 from 46 deliveries, both fell trying to clear the fence, the Super Kings were still coasting at 126-3.

However Faf du Plessis departed for a first-ball duck and then Ravindra Jadeja was bowled by India team-mate Ishant Sharma, leaving the score at 138-5 with eight still needed from nine deliveries.

It came down to a requirement of six off the last over and after a pair of singles, Dhoni clinched a fourth successive victory for Chennai by thumping a full toss from Amit Mishra to the boundary at square leg.

Double blow

Hyderabad had earlier failed to recover from the double blow of losing Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner in the space of three deliveries, seamer Ben Hilfenhaus removing both left-handers.

Aaron Finch made 44 and Lokesh Rahul 27, the pair putting on 52 for the third wicket, but neither were able to break the shackles as they scored at slower than a run-a-ball rate.

Darren Sammy and Karn Sharma did lift the Sunrisers with some late boundaries, finishing up unbeaten on 23 and 17 respectively. The pair took 32 from the final two overs, including 20 off Hilfenhaus to ruin the Australian's figures - he finished with 2-32.

The match was the last to be played in the tournament in Sharjah; further games take place in Abu Dhabi and Dubai before the teams return to India.