A super all-round display on Friday helped Chennai Super Kings (CSK) hand Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) a 27-run defeat in the final of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) in Dubai on Friday.
In the process, MS Dhoni lifted the IPL trophy for the fourth time as CSK captain, completing a tremendous comeback for the Yellow Army after they had failed to reach the playoffs for the first time last season.
KKR, on the other hand, can take heart from their stunning turnaround in form this season, dishing out one superb performance after another in the UAE leg of the season after losing five out of seven back in India, to make it to their third final. Kolkata though, ended up suffering their first defeat in the summit clash after failing to chase a stiff 193-run target set by CSK, having won both of their final appearances in the past one of which came against the same side in 2012.
Put in to bat after Kolkata skipper Morgan won the toss, Chennai rode on a blazing 86 off 59 balls from the in-form opener Faf du Plessis, who fell short of overtaking Ruturaj Gaikwad for the Orange Cap by just two runs. Du Plessis was ably supported by the Chennai top order with the likes of Gayakwad (32), Robin Uthappa (31) and Moeen Ali (37 not out) all forging sizeable partnerships as they posted a challenging 192/3 on the board.
KKR, in reply, got off to a solid start with Shubman Gill (51) and Venkatesh Iyer (50, forging a 91-run opening stand, though the latter was dropped on 0 as Dhoni put down a sitter off Josh Hazlewood’s bowling. Iyer’s dismissal off Shardul Thakur’s bowling, however, opened the floodgates as the collapse-prone KKR batting lineup crumbled in the face of intense pressure created by CSK, losing eight wickets for just 34 runs. By the time skipper Morgan was dismissed for yet another single-digit score with the scorecard reading 125/8, the game was as good as over already.
Here’s how Cricket Twitter reacted to CSK’s 27-run victory over KKR: