What a finish from CSK. They end their campaign with three back-to-back wins. Biggest positive? Ruturaj Gaikwad. His three consecutive fifties have been the backbone of the three wins. They will take inspiration from that, will CSK. Spare a thought for Kings. They had a terrible start to the season but turned it around with five consecutive wins. Rajasthan snapped that streak and Chennai today knocked them out with an all-round -performance.
MS Dhoni: "It was a difficult campaign for us. I don't think we played to the full potential. If you are lagging too much, it becomes very difficult to push yourself and come up with performances. Very proud the way the boys played their cricket. It would have been very tough 6-7 games. You won't want to be in a dressing room that is not really enjoying cricket. You want to keep coming up with different ideas but if the dressing room atmosphere is not happy, it becomes very tough. A lot depends on what the BCCI decides upon the auction. We need to slightly change our core group and look for the next 10 years. At the start of the IPL, we made a team and it served us well. There comes a time where you have to shift a bit, hand it over to the next generation."
KL Rahul : "We didn't bat really well. Big pressure game and we expected 180-190 on the board, unfortunately we couldn't soak in the pressure and get a big total. Disappointed but that's how IPL goes. Unfortunate that today and yesterday's (Rajasthan) game didn't go our way but proud of the team. Hopefully, we can come back stronger next year. If you look back at it , we had a lot of games in our pocket but couldn't get over the line. We have ourselves to blame. At the start of the tournament, that short run has come back to bite us very hard."
====================================
Chris Gayle rolling his arm in the IPL for the first time in four years. Both batters knocking the singles around. Just a one needed now. Scores are level! That's that. Nine wicket win for CSK. Kings XI Punjab knocked out! Move over to the next game for the night - RR vs KKR -
Shami into his final over. Rayudu takes a single and gets the in-form Gaikwad back on strike. A pacy short ball from Shami... hurries Gaikwad into the pull, the ball brushes the helmet and flies away for four. SHOT ! Gaikwad is a class act. Gaikwad's in a hurry - pulls it in front of square for four. 11 off the over. CSK 149/1 after 18 Overs. Just five needed now.
Chris Jordan into the attack. Rayudu and Gaikwad dealing in singles at the moment. Meanwhile, the fifty partnership has come up between these two. Rayudu dances down the wicket and whacks it over extra cover for four. The end is nigh for Punjab. Eight off it. Just 16 needed now. CSK 138/1 after 17 Overs.
SHOT! Wow. Gaikwad steps out and hits it over extra cover for four - elegant. He has been brilliant in the last three run chases. Bishnoi at the receiving end on that occassion. FOUR! Gaikwad, you beauty. Gets to his fifty with yet another boundary. A hat-trick of fifties for Gaikwad. 12 off the over. CSK 130/1 after 16 Overs.
M Ashwin to bowl out. Gaikwad and Rayudu knocking the singles around. A dot later, Rayudu collects a couple. Five comes off the over. CSK 118/1 after 15 Overs. CSK needs 36 in five overs.
Neesham is back into the attack. Gaikwad takes a brace but an overthrow allows the batsmen to take a third. Gaikwad plays a well-timed shot for four. What placement. He's showing glimpses what CSK saw in him when they signed him. 10 off the over. CSK 113/1 after 14 Overs.
Murugan Ashwin is back into the attack. Rayudu pulls one away for a single. The 100 comes up for Chennai. The sun is starting to set on Punjab's campaign? Four runs off the over. No wickets. CSK 103/1 after 13 Overs.
Ravi Bishnoi is back into the attack. The wicket hasn't stemmed the run flow - Rayudu this time cuts one away for four - threading the gap to perfection. He concedes 10 in this over, does Bishnoi. CSK 99/1 after 12 Overs. Chennai Super Kings needs 55 runs in 48 balls
Mohammed Shami is back into the attack. Good over from Shami so far. Chennai have lost a wicket but they won't be too bothered just yet. Nine wickets in hand, this should still be a walk in the park. Five off the over. CSK 89/1 after 11 Overs.
Chris Jordan is back into the attack. Faf stands tall and launches it over long-off for four. Didn't time it very well but he was fully committed to that shot and earns four. Three braces for Faf in the over. GONE! Big breakthrough. Faf holes out. Chennai Super Kings needs 72 runs in 61 balls. Rayudu is in at 3. CSK 84/1 after 10 Overs.
Murugan Ashwin into his second. This is some brilliant display of spin bowling from M Ashwin and Bishnoi. The duo's just not been able to break through. Full marks for skills and effort. Just three off that over . CSK 72/1 after 9 Overs.
Bishnoi to continue after the time-out. Starts with a dot. Faf and Gaikwad collect a single each off the next two balls. GONE ! Bishnoi gets his man, fine catch by Mandeep. Scratch that. He's not out! The on-field umpires want to check if it's a cl;ean take - soft signal is out. Chris Gaffaney thinks there is conclusive evidence to overturn the on-field call. Gaikwad ends the over with a four. CSK 69/0 after 8 Overs.
Murugan Ashwin comes into the attack. Punjab need a wicket and fast. This game's running away from them and with it, a playoff chance. Well, well, Faf has been given out caught behind. He reviews and survives! Day light between bat and ball. Good over. 5 off it. CSK 62/0 after 7 Overs.
FOUR! Runs coming thick and fast now. Ravi Bishnoi is welcomed into the attack with a four and a six by Faf. The 50-run stand comes up inside the Powerplay. 13 off the sixth over. CSK 57/0 after 6 Overs.
Gaikwad welcomes Mohammed Shami with a beautiful cover drive and then takes a single. Faf then smacks Shami for a boundary by lofting a low full-toss over the mid off region. He then flicks through mid-wicket to pocket a couple and then takes a single. Shami ends the over with a dot ball. CSK 44/0 after 5 Overs.
J Neesham to bowl his second. Faf gives him the charge but it's hit straight to mid-off. Dot ball. Two dots. DROPPED ! Hooda has grassed a difficult chance. Two for Faf. He follows it up with a six over fine-leg, does Faf. A single to end the over. CSK 32/0 after 4 Overs.
Chris Jordan comes into the attack. A dot later, Faf collects a single through short cover region. Another dot before Gaikwad mistimes one for a couple. Gaikwad shimmies down the track and hits one over the square-leg boundary for six. A brace to end the over. 11 from it. CSK 22/0 after 3 Overs.
Mohammed Shami to share the new ball. A slip in place. Gaikwad to take strike. Four dot balls to start the spell. Excellent so far. Oh dear, after five dots, Shami bowls a wide - what's worse, conceded a boundary: 5wides. CSK 11/0 after 2 Overs.
Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis will start the run chase. Pressure will be on Punjab. It's win or bust for KL Rahul's men. J Neesham to start the proceedings for Punjab. Interesting call from KL. Shami's been absolutely amazing with the new ball. Neesham has begun well - two dots. Gaikwad off the mark with a single. Faf ends the over with a boundary . CSK 6/0 after 1 Over.
=============================
Hooda's quickfire knock has given Punjab something to play with here. He struck four huge sixes during his whirlwind knock. It still may not be enough but stranger things have happened this IPL. We will be back with the chase shortly.
=============================
Ngidi to bowl the 20th. Jordan takes a single first ball. Hooda's playing a gem of an innings here - four more to his name. This is now a fighting score. SIX! Hooda has got stuck into Ngidi here - a 79 m maximum. Just one off the last ball. 14 off the last over. Hooda unbeaten on 62 off just 30. Chennai needs 154 to beat Punjab and knock them out of IPL.
Shardul Thakur to bowl the 19th. Hooda starts with a brace before hammering one over cover for four. What a cameo this is turning out to be. His fifty comes up with a single! 10 off the over. Jordan retains strike. KXIP 139/6 after 19 Overs.
WICKET! T hat's Gaikwad's wicket. A brilliant running catch by Ruturaj
to get rid of Neesham . Ngidi has one more. C
hris Jordan comes and gets off the mark with a maximum. What a strike. Ngidi thinks he has got Hooda caught behind. Umpire not interested. Dhoni reviews. Replays confirm the on-field decision. Hooda stays. SIX! Hooda is turning it on here - Twice now in the same over, he has targeted the extra cover boundary and cleared it with ease. Good over for Kings. 16 off it.
KXIP 129/6 after 18 Overs.
GONE ! Mandeep is clean bowled by Jadeja. Jimmy Neesham is in next. He gets off the mark with a single. Good over for CSK and Jaddu. Six runs and a wicket off it in the end. KXIP 113/5 after 17 Overs.
Tahir bowling out. Some good running between the wickets by these two - turning ones into twos but those won't hurt Chennai you'd imagine. It's the boundaries that have dried up. Meanwhile, the 100 comes up for Punjab. SIX ! Hooda has launched that over long-off for six. A 81-metre maximum. 12 off the over. Tahir - 4-0-24-1. KXIP 107/4 after 16 Overs.
Jadeja into his second over. Mandeep works one off his pads for a single. A quiet over so far. A brace to end the over - seven off it in the end. KXIP 95/4 after 15 Overs.
Chahar returns after the break. Mandeep pulls it nicely for four. Much-needed runs. Hooda's turn now, pulls one away for four. Good over for Punjab. 11 runs from it. KXIP 88/4 after 14 Overs.
Strategic time-out.
Ravindra Jadeja comes into the attack. Jaddu has rushed through that over. Just four from it. After a quick start, KXIP have fallen off the rails. Ngidi got rid of the openers before Tahir and Thakur nipped out Gayle and Pooran. Mandeep and Hooda are at the crease. KXIP 77/4 after 13 Overs.
Tahir into his third. Mandeep works it towards square leg and gets Gayle back on strike. As long as Gayle is out there, Punjab will believe it can recover from the middle-over stutter and finish on a high. GONE! Gayle has been adjudged lbw. He reviews. Replays show three reds. Tahir has got the big fish! Four runs and a wicket. Hooda is the new man at the crease. KXIP 73/4 after 12 Overs.
Thakur replaces Ngidi. Fierce drive for a single from Gayle. Single from Pooran to extra cover. GONE ! CSK chipping away here - Pooran is caught behind. Mandeep Singh has joined Gayle. Four runs and a wicket off it. KXIP 69/3 after 11 Overs.
Tahir continues. Gayle flat bats for the first three balls before driving it to long off for a single. Two more singles to finish the over. KXIP 65/2 after 10 Overs
Lungi Ngidi is back into the attack. Gayle plays the ball to short fine leg and gets off strike. GONE ! Ngidi gets rid of KL Rahul - full, slower ball doing the trick. KL looking to go leg side, misses and is clean bowled. Ngidi in the middle of an inspiring spell. Once again, Chris Gayle will have to, first rebuild and then attack. He is joined by Nic Pooran. Brilliant from Ngidi. Just a run and a wicket. KXIP 62/2 after 9 Overs.
Imran Tahir, right-arm leg-spin, has been introduced into the attack. Gayle works it towards deep backward square for a single. Good start from Tahir. Just five from it - five singles. KXIP 61/1 after 8 Overs.
Strategic time-out.
Thakur to continue. Gayle guides one to third man for a single. Good over so far from the Mumbaikar - 0,1,0. Excellent from Thakur - just three off the over including an inch-perfect yorker, which Gayle digs out for a single. KXIP 56/1 after 7 Overs.
WICKET ! Lungi Ngidi gets Mayank Agarwal - inside edge onto the stumps. A scrambled cross seamer doing the trick. Chris Gayle is in next . Glorious from KL. Leans into the drive and collects four. That brings up KXIP's fifty as well. A dot to end the over. Nine from the over. KXIP 53/1 after 6 Overs.
Shardul Thakur, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack. Two back-to-back boundaries for KL Rahul. 10 runs from that over. But more importantly, these two have taken the attack to Chennai's pacers. KXIP 44/0 after 5 Overs.
Curran into his second over. Mayank's looking in good touch - Curran bowls a touch wide, Agarwal throws the bat at it and gets four to deep backward point. And four more to end the over - this time through mid-wicket. Agarwal stepping on the pedal in the powerplay. KXIP 34/0 after 4 Overs.
Chahar to continue. Two dots later, KL Rahul gets his first boundary of the match - a six to deep backward point. Chahar goes short and wide, Rahul cuts it away. Three singles off the last three deliveries. Nine off the over. KXIP 23/0 after 3 Overs.
Sam Curran, left-arm fast medium, comes into the attack. A dot followed by a couple of singles. A good over so far from Curran. Just four singles off it in the end. KXIP 14/0 after 2 Overs.
Mayank and KL are at the crease. Deepak Chahar with the new ball. 10 runs off the first over with Agarwal striking two boundaries - one over mid-on and another backward of square. KXIP 10/0 after 1 Over.
TOSS UPDATE : MS Dhoni has won the toss and Chennai will bowl first.
Kings XI Punjab (Playing XI): KL Rahul(w/c), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Mandeep Singh, James Neesham, Deepak Hooda, Chris Jordan, Murugan Ashwin, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami
Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w/c), N Jagadeesan, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Lungi Ngidi, Imran Tahir
Anyway, back to the first game - Kings XI have a better Net Run Rate than KKR, RR, RCB and DC and a win today should be enough for a top-four finish. Toss coming up in 15 minutes. Buckle up folks, we are all set for the final set of double-headers to begin.
This isn't the only game today. Later tonight, the Rajasthan Royals will face Kolkata Knight Riders in a knock-out encounter. The loser will be eliminated and the winner will stay alive. Watch out for Big Ben (Stokes)! He has come good for the Royals in the last two games. Can he make it three out of three? We will find out soon enough.
Chennai Super Kings became the first team to be knocked out of the race for playoffs. Since then it has notched two consecutive wins. Dhoni and Co. would want to end on a high. Faf du Plessis is seen warming up . Will he replace Watson in the playing XI? The former South African skipper has been one of Chennai's top performers with the bat.
IPL 2020 Team Standings & Points Table
PLAYOFF SCENARIOS FOR KXIP
If the Sunrisers Hyderabad win their last match against Mumbai on Tuesday, they will go through on account of their superior Net Run Rate. Hence, not only do Punjab need to beat CSK today but they also have to ensure that their NRR is better than the winner of the evening encounter between the Rajasthan Royals and the Kolkata Knight Riders. It helps that the Kings's NRR is better than Royal Challengers Bangalore's. Virat Kohli's men lost to Sunrisers on Saturday, making the Monday clash between RCB and DC a shoot-out for the second spot.
Hello and welcome to Match 53 of the IPL 2020 between Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab in Abu Dhabi.
Comments
SHARE