After defeating Kolkata Knight Riders by 27 runs in the final, Chennai Super Kings have won the Indian Premier League for the fourth time.
Chennai produced 192-3 from 20 overs, with Faf du Plessis’ 86 off 59 balls and Moeen Ali’s 20-ball 37. Shubman Gill (51 off 43) and Venkatesh Iyer (50 off 32) both scored half-centuries leading to the Kolkata collapse.
After winning the IPL in 2010, 2011, and 2018, Chennai, headed by skipper MS Dhoni, adds another trophy to the cabinet, and it comes as no surprise as they were favourites for betting fans on https://sportsbetting.net.in/ to take it home. Dhoni declined to declare if he will retire or play another season after the game, but when informed he could be proud of his legacy, he said, “I haven’t left it behind yet.”
After a remarkable comeback in this year’s championship, it’s a dismal finish for two-time champions KKR. When the competition began in the United Arab Emirates this month, KKR were in second place, having been halted in May due to a spike in coronavirus infections in India.
Du Plessis’ batting masterpiece raised further concerns about why the 37-year-old was left out of South Africa’s Men’s T20 World Cup team. Du Plessis’ innings featured seven fours and three sixes, as he displayed a variety of strokes ranging from strong blows down the ground to beautiful timing that found the gaps.
Lockie Ferguson was battered mercilessly by Du Plessis, the New Zealand left-arm fast bowler ending with 0-56 from four overs. KL Rahul led the IPL run-scorers with 626 runs at the outset of the match, but Du Plessis (547 runs) and Gaikwad (603 runs) were in contention to overhaul the Punjab Kings skipper.
Gaikwad’s 32 from 27 balls put him at the top of the leaderboard, and he appeared to be a lock for the coveted orange cap. Du Plessis, on the other hand, had different plans and needed three runs off the last ball of the innings to displace Gaikwad – but he was caught in the deep, ensuring Gaikwad ended first.
Moeen of England also struck several big shots, including three sixes, while Robin Uthappa of CSK provided a crucial 31 from 15 balls in a dominating CSK batting effort.
KKR gets off to a great start thanks to Iyer and Gill
Morgan’s side would not go down without a fight, and after the powerplay, they were 55-0, five runs ahead of Chennai after six overs.
Iyer, 26, is probably this season’s IPL’s best find, as he once again played brave cricket. Iyer, who was drafted by Kolkata when the league started last month, struck his fourth IPL half-century in only ten innings, accumulating 370 runs at a 41.11 average. A close finish seemed certain with Kolkata on 88-0 after 10 overs, but Shardul Thakur bowled a superb over to dismiss Iyer and then Nitesh Rana for a golden duck.
Thakur was the outstanding bowler this season, collecting 3-38 wickets and finishing with 21 IPL wickets. As KKR began to disintegrate, Sunil Narine was dismissed for two, with Ravindra Jadeja – one of the best fielders in the world – grabbing his second catch. Gill, who has 478 runs this season, completed his third half-century before being caught lbw by Deepak Chahar.
Morgan’s poor show in the IPL
Morgan, who walked to the crease with his side needing 96 off 51, had the opportunity to produce the sort of innings that has enthralled England supporters in recent years. Morgan has struggled with the bat, particularly since the restart, despite his captaincy being instrumental in KKR’s comeback.
And he could only watch as Dinesh Karthik fell for nine. His night came to an end as Chahar made a spectacular catch on the boundary. Chahar had to toss the ball into the air as his momentum carried him over the boundary rope, then leap back into the game and retrieve the ball.
Dhoni’s next move
A competition that began on April 9 in Chennai, India, finished 190 days later in the United Arab Emirates. CSK’s celebrations will be briefer than normal, as several of their players will be preparing for the T20 World Cup with their various national sides. The focus is now expected to shift to skipper Dhoni’s future.
Since the tournament began in 2008, the 40-year-old has guided the team to every prize victory. Dhoni has played the most IPL matches of any player (230) and is the sixth greatest run-scorer in the tournament’s history (4,746). When asked about his future at the post-match press conference, Dhoni stated it will depend on what happens with the two new clubs due to join the league in 2022.
“We have to decide what is good for CSK – it’s not about me being there in the three or four retained players,” he said. “It’s about making a strong core to ensure the franchise doesn’t suffer. We have to see who can contribute for the next 10 years.”
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