It was disappointing halt to CSK; they needed a win in their last league game. CSK failed to produce performance like they did against RR, DD and KKR. Now, Kings XI Punjab has kept themselves in contention for a place in the playoffs with a comfortable victory set up by their seamers in Dharamsala. In conditions conducive to swing and movement, Praveen Kumar and Parvinder Awana stymied Chennai Super Kings, who finished their league campaign on a disappointing note. But, CSK are still hanging by a thread in this IPL though, and are at the mercy of other results.
CSK Halt, KXIP & RCB March
After KXIP seamers stopped CSK batsman from getting to a respectable total. It was Adam Gilchrist, who was returning to lead his side after a lay-off of nearly a month due to a hamstring injury, smashed an unbeaten half-century to see his team home in front of a full house at the picturesque HPCA Stadium. With Kings XI finding them in a bigger battle of survival compared to the visitors, Adam Gilchrist walked on to the ground, along with Dhoni, for the toss, the home hopes had gone up considerably.
The sheer presence of the skipper and mentor, who missed nine matches on the trot after leading the side in the first five clashes, inspired his side to first wrap up CSK’s proceedings at 120/7 and then chase it down in 16.3 overs for a six-wicket win. The Australian also set an example in every sense. If he played his part well behind the stumps, contributing in four of the seven dismissals, his composed yet fiery unbeaten 64 off 46, replete with nine strokes to the ropes and two beyond, made CSK’s presence look mere ordinary.
Royal Challengers Bangalore needed to win at the Kotla, to draw level with Chennai Super Kings on 17 points, to move one ahead of Kings XI Punjab, and to pull further away from Rajasthan Royals, their closest competitors. Defeat against league leaders Delhi Daredevils, who had already secured a playoff spot, would have been debilitating to their campaign. So the time and place Chris Gayle chose to score his season’s first century – 128 off 62 balls with 13 sixes – was perfect. He and Virat Kohli took 204 runs, the second best Twenty20 partnership, off a Morne Morkel-less attack to lead Royal Challengers to the highest total of 2012, one that was ultimately a match-winning one.
In the end, Royal Challengers were glad Gayle and Kohli gave them 215, because their profligate bowlers needed that many. Daredevils were without Virender Sehwag, who was unwell, but their batsmen were aggressive from the outset and sustained the attack for a considerable period. Several batsmen made small but explosive contributions but it was Ross Taylor, the one Daredevil wanted desperately to find form, who led the chase. His 55, scored at a strike-rate 211, kept the home side abreast with the asking-rate. Taylor, however, was dismissed in the 17th over. Gayle had stayed for all 20, and that made the difference.
Daredevils then needed 58 off 24 balls but Taylor was dismissed soon after, holing out to deep midwicket. And with runs coming from only Russell’s end, Daredevils quickly fell behind the asking-rate, never to recover.
With KXIP playing DD in last game and RCB taking on DC in their last; it might just prove to be a stumbling block for both this teams.
Tags: Chennai Super Kings, Cricket, CSK, IPL, Kings XI Punjab
