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✪ Chennai stops Kolkata to prove they are the Super and Superb Kings of the IPL
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Senior cricket writer & analyst
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‘Stop us if you can,’ announced Chennai – the Superb Kings of the IPL – and posted an impressive 192 for 3 in 20 overs in the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday (October 15, 2021). They had lost the toss, but that did not matter. Their aim was the to lift the IPL title for the fourth time and they did it in style restricting Kolkata to 165 for 9 and win by 27 runs.
Nothing mattered for Chennai Super Kings except winning the IPL title….whether it was the talk about the team, the statistics on the average age of the team, which is around 30, or their past performance. All five defeats for Chennai in this edition had come when they batted first, but they ensured that it does not happen in the final. They knew Kolkata had won all their six games in the UAE leg by chasing…. again that did not matter to them.
Dhoni, playing in his 300thgame in T20 as captain, was well aware that the past was not important….and what his team needed to do was to deliver in the present.
In 2020, Chennai had failed to even reach the playoffs for the first time in the IPL, and wanted to prove a point this time. Dhoni had a bunch of players who wanted to prove to the world that 2020 was just a one-off incident. Ruturaj Gaikwad hit 32, walked away with the Orange Cap as the highest scorer in the IPL, and his partner Faf Du Plessis (86 runs) playing in his 100th IPL match and who almost came close to winning the Orange Cap, set the stage for a huge total. In fact, everyone who came out to bat Robin Uthappa (31) and Moeen Ali (37n.o) ensured they posted a challenging total.
Faf Du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Photos: CSR Twitter
In the bowling front, Shardul Thakur, by striking repeatedly and taking three wickets, snapped Kolkata’s run flow. When he struck, the giant score board rightly called him ‘Sher Dil Thakur (Lion hearted Thakur)’. They had another man on the field Ravindra Jadeja, playing in his 200th IPL match, who pulled off two spectacular catches to tilt the balance of the match in Chennai’s favour.
It would be worth recalling Dhoni’s words after they failed to qualify for the play off in 2020 He said “We’ll come back stronger, that’s what we are known for.” It sounded like the words of a wounded tiger. Gaikwad who became the youngest player to win the Orange Cap rightly revealed the belief that the team had in their goal of winning the title this season: “I was part of the previous season where we didn’t qualify. Coming here, everyone had the belief….thankfully it happened here and I’m really happy.”
Chennai’s win is also a message to everyone that experience is vital and that being young is not everything. This team is called the ‘Dad’s army’ since most of their players are over 30. Their coach Stephen Fleming righty explained it after their triumph. “There has been a bit of criticism about the age of players in our side, but the players have stepped up. We value youth, but experience is very important. We don’t go too deep into the numbers, analytics, but are a team more on instincts. Yes we are a bit old school in that sense but it works for us in this group.”
Dhoni did not forget the to thank the fans who kept whistling and chanting CSK, CSK throughout the match. “I would love to thank the fans, wherever we’ve played, even when we were in South Africa, we’ve always had a good number of CSK fans. That is what you crave for. Thanks to all of them, it feels like we’re playing in Chennai. Hopefully we’ll be back in Chennai for the fans.”
Chennai’s win is the triumph of a legend who believes that Dhoni’s first alphabet D stands for determination. Many in the crowd had prayed that Dhoni does not announce his retirement from IPL too. When Dhoni was asked about the legacy he has left behind, he said “Well, I still haven’t left behind…” with a smile. This has brought smile not only to Chennai fans but to all lovers of the game who love the Dad of the Dad’s Army. Four cheers to Chennai Super Kings for their fourth title triumph… hip hip hurray Chennai, the Super and Superb Kings of the IPL.
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