CSK and KXIP made their final appearance at this IPL in Abu Dhabi. A very unique scenario played out in the context of this match. If KXIP wins, they will keep their hopes up for a playoff, while CSK has an interesting record to play against. If CSK wins, it will be the first version of IPL, where every team will finish with at least 6 wins – statistically confirming that this is the most competitive version of IPL since its inception.
CSK won the pitch and chose to play on the slow court in Abu Dhabi. Punjab decided to play more pitchers and joined only 5 pitchers including Neesham – a move that contrasts with the general strategy of T20 cricket. Another thing that I don’t like about KXIP is that they decided to drop Maxwell after trusting him in the last 13 games. Confusing decision-making like this happens when team management isn’t sure what exactly is driving them and changes players in hopes of finding the right combination.
KXIP welcomes Mayank back and the opening partnership between him and Rahul has been restored to the top. Mayank continued from where he left off in his final match and the duo delivered a brilliant start to Punjab before Ngidi took down Agarwal with breakneck speed. Fresh from the excellent 99 match against RR, the Cosmic Boss has come into the fold. Rahul and Gayle were supposed to lead KXIp in the middle round, but unfortunately for the tournament’s Orange-Cap holder, he was tricked by a cutter from Ngidi. Rahul was expected to pass the 700-run mark this season, but he’s fallen miserably after just 30 runs.
However, ignoring Rahul’s personal milestone, it is more pertinent to Punjab that Rahul’s departure has started a procession. Nicholas Pooran and Chris Gayle left in quick succession and Kings Xi was left with their fragile middle order for support. I love IPL so much because it creates a lot of interesting stories. Deepak Hooda has been a utility player for his team in IPL for almost 9 years now. He has taken India’s almighty spot for a variety of franchises, but he rarely plays any memorable innings. He’s made small cameos, but they’re just cameos anyway.
Today it’s the loser’s turn to take the limelight. With all the illustrious players out of the match, Deepak Hooda began to build on his round. First, he established a key partnership of 36 out of 29 deliveries with Mandeep, to revive the KXIP round. Singles and doubles are the main focus of the partnership as his main goal is to prevent his team from skateboarding for some minor point. Once, Mandeep and Neesham left consecutively, Hooda played purposefully. He reinforces the attack with Jordan on the other end and uses his long arms to good effect. He punishes anything from afar in the slot with serious disdain as he cuts, slams and knocks down the likes of Shardul and Ngidi to race for 62 out of 30 serves – for sure. was the best round of his IPL career.
Deepak Hooda’s critical takedown ensures that Punjab has a competitive total of 154 across the board. Chennai’s spinners made their money in the tournament for the first time when Tahir and Jadeja didn’t give the hitters. Both have bowled 7 times between them and conceded 41 and won 2 precious goals. In fact, the way Tahir dealt with Chris Gayle with his toe clip says a lot about this South African’s abilities, even though he’s gone wrong in his 40s.
CSK started the chase with ease. There’s something about this kid, Ruturaj Gaekwad that makes him look different from the others. In the first 10 balls of the round, he scored 1 serve. To my pleasant surprise, he didn’t play any fancy shots to break the shackles. While Faf was trying to hit the ball on the other end, Ruturaj stood firm and believed in his abilities as a traditional club player.
It was clear that in his last few innings, that shot was his favorite. He’s equally adept at pulling and glancing at deliveries, but his effortless fluid drive play is second to none. Shami made a mistake to throw the ball to him a couple of times outside the tree, causing Gaekwad to enter his groove with smooth cushioning.
Faf used his feet and toss brilliantly to ensure that the running speed didn’t drop as his partner settled on the other end. CSK raced to 57th place without losing on their power serves with Faf scoring the majority of the score. The absence of a full-time pitcher has hurt Punjab as Neesham proved no threat to hitters with his slick average shots.
After being battered in the power game, the only way KXIP can get back in the competition is through Ravi Bishnoi. Unfortunately, the mainstay of the KXIP bowling team misfired at a crucial moment for his team. He sprayed his googlies all over the field, resulting in both Gaekwad and Faf enjoying him. Murugan has always been Bishnoi’s second player and Bishnoi’s poor form means the opposition is not threatened by him either.
Ruturaj raced 62 out of 49 serves brilliantly and Rayudu, despite being stuck in a twisty lane, made sure CSK had no problems in the chase. It was a clinical performance for CSK, as they charged straight to the goal with 7 spare balls. Ironically, the addition of young players shows that CSK has been missing for too long this season. They ended with a win, the first time in IPL history that failed to make it to the knockout stages. However, Dhoni could have just produced an opener from Ruturaj Gaekwad, just as he did with Rohit Sharma in 2013.
