Chennai Super Kings

Chennai Super Kings yet again won IPL, outplaying Royal Challengers Bangalore in Saturday’s final in front of home crowd at Chepauk. The Fortress remained unvanquished this year. Chepauk witnessed a thoroughly professional performance by defending champions. Although setting was perfect for a mouth watering prospect and also cricketer followers were expecting a cracker of a match, it scripted as a one side affair.

Dhoni was fortunate to win the crucial toss, decided to bat first. Chennai Super Kings scored a gigantic 205 runs for the loss of five wickets with both the openers Hussey and M.Vijay scoring a gallant 159 runs first wicket partnership. Mike Hussey scored 63 runs before losing his wicket to Syed Mohammad and Murali Vijay contributed a match-winning 95 runs with his bat in this crucial encounter. After the IPL record partnership for the first wicket – Chennai restricted Bangalore to 147 for eight.

It was Vijay who got the call for Indian team, begun to show it was not wrong. According to Chennai strategy of keeping wickets in hand till 14th – 15th, then rampage the opponents. Hussey and Vijay manoeuvred the ball around for ones and two, and then started hitting flamboyant sixes. Chennai reached 56 for 0 in six over’s and kept going from strength to strength.

Chris Gayle who was due for big innings, made it due against Mumbai Indians and he failed to perform big time in finale. One man who could make a match out of it was Chris Gayle. The champion offie R Ashwin took challenge against Gayle and finished triumphant by taking Gayle’s wicket for a duck. Dhoni wouldn’t have for nothing more from R Ashwin. It totally derailed the Bangalore chase; it proved the fact that Gayle safari was factor for Bangalore’s chance in this year IPL.

RCB had a terrific start to the run chase in a match where only a storm by Gayle could have only ushered some chances of winning the cup. The entire gang of RCB supporters and even the owners looked disappointed as Gayle departed towards the dug-out without scoring a single run in the all important match. The RCB batsmen kept on losing wickets at regular intervals with none of them able to put up any resistance to the Chennai bowlers.

The Royal Challengers never recovered from these body blows despite some late spark by Tiwary as the Super Kings then cleaned up the tail to author a memorable victory that was founded on the Vijay-Hussey classic. Chennai Super Kings finally won by 58 runs, lifted the cup to set the record for winning two consecutive IPL.

Tags: Chennai Super Kings, Cricket, CSK, Indian Premier League, IPL, IPL 2011, IPL 4, Murali Vijay, RCB, Royal Challengers Bangalore