IPL 2018, CSK vs KXIP: Hits and Misses

With Mumbai Indians losing their final league game against Delhi Daredevils, Kings XI Punjab had to win by 53 runs (or with 38 balls to spare if they batted second). In the last league game of the season, Chennai Super Kings won the toss and opted to field first.

Punjab were off to the worst possible start as they lost Chris Gayle, Aaron Finch, and the in-form KL Rahul quite early and were reduced to 16/3 in 4 overs.

Lungi Ngidi and Deepak Chahar got movement in the air and off the pitch and made full use of the conditions. The KXIP middle-order which had been under fire this season tried resurrecting the innings.

Manoj Tiwary and David Miller shared a 60-run partnership before Karun Nair’s excellent half-century pushed KXIP over 150.

Chasing 154, it meant that KXIP needed to restrict CSK to 100 or less if they wanted to qualify, but that couldn’t happen despite a good start.

Mohit Sharma removed the in-form Ambati Rayudu. And then Ankit Rajpoot followed it up with an excellent 4-over spell. He took two wickets in two balls in the fifth over, reducing CSK to 27/3 and giving Punjab a glimmer of hope.

But Harbhajan Singh and Deepak Chahar were promoted ahead of the likes of MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, and Dwayne Bravo.

While Harbhajan scored 19, Chahar scored a 20-ball 38. Suresh Raina was the anchor of the chase and he finished with an unbeaten 61, and it was MS Dhoni who once again finished the game with a six.

CSK remained at the second position and will now play SRH in the first Qualifier in Mumbai on May 22.

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#5 Hit: Karun Nair

Karun Nair's 54 propelled KXIP to 153

Karun Nair was dropped in the last game after he got just 7 runs in his previous three innings.

He did have a decent start to the tournament where he was getting good starts, but wasn’t able to kick on. With the middle-order failing once again in the last game against Mumbai Indians, Nair was brought back in the XI to replace Yuvraj Singh.

However, Nair didn’t bat at his normal No. 3 or No. 4 position. He walked in at No. 6, and at that stage, KXIP had a decent 60-run partnership as David Miller and Manoj Tiwary had helped the visitors recover from 16/3.

The Karnataka batsman played an excellent knock, as he struck his second half-century of this season. He was looking in very good touch as he struck the ball very well.

He started off sedately, but as the innings wore on, he tried to find the boundary frequently. He hit Shardul Thakur for a couple of fours and a six to give KXIP some momentum before smashing Dwayne Bravo for a couple more sixes.

He finished with a fine 26-ball 54 hitting 3 fours and 5 sixes.

#4 Miss: Ambati Rayudu

Ambati Rayudu's string of double-digit scores came to an end

Ambati Rayudu has been in phenomenal form for CSK. He’s gone out and contributed in almost every game. Also, with Faf du Plessis in and out of the side, his batting position also has been uncertain, as he has also batted at No. 4 when du Plessis was in the side.

He’s the highest run-getter for the ‘Men in Yellow’ this season with close to 600 runs at a strike rate of over 150.

Rayudu was coming into the game on the back of an unbeaten 100 and a very good 50. However, he registered his first single-digit score of the season in this game.

Chasing 154, Rayudu took the strike and got off the mark on the first ball as he guided one to third-man. But the Hyderabad batsman fell in the second over, as Mohit Sharma found the right line and length.

It was a good length delivery and it moved away a bit and the edge was found. Rayudu departed for 1 as KXIP got the early breakthrough.

#3 Hit: Deepak Chahar

Deepak Chahar was quite handy with the bat

Deepak Chahar has been very good with the ball. He’s bowled very well with the new ball and MS Dhoni has often bowled him out inside the first 10 overs. However, he was injured midway through the season and missed a few games. But he has come back really well.

In this game, he was once again good with the ball as he took 1/30 in his four overs. He dismissed Aaron Finch with a beautiful delivery that moved away and found the edge which was taken very well by Suresh Raina at first slip.

It was Chahar’s batting that surprised everyone. When Harbhajan Singh was promoted to No. 5, most of them were surprised, but it seemed like a tactical move as CSK wanted to release some pressure. But when he sent Deepak Chahar in after Harbhajan’s dismissal, it left everyone stunned.

But the 25-year-old pacer scored an excellent 20-ball 38, as he provided impetus to CSK’s innings.

He nudged the ball for the first few deliveries as he made 12 off 11 deliveries. And just when the required run rate was creeping up, Chahar decided to take on the bowling and hit Ravichandran Ashwin for a couple of sixes and a four to take CSK over the 100-run mark (which was the total KXIP had to restrict CSK to qualify).

That over and another six in the next over took the pressure off Raina and it gave momentum to the chase. Chahar did get out in the 17th over but he had done his job as Raina and MS Dhoni finished things off.

#2 Miss: KXIP top-order

KL Rahul and Chris Gayle have done the bulk of the scoring for KXIP this season

Kings XI Punjab were quite dependent on their top-order to not only give them good starts, but also to do the bulk of the scoring. Their middle-order just didn’t stand up at crucial moments of the tournament. And it was literally only KL Rahul and Chris Gayle shouldering almost the entire responsibility.

But in this last game where KXIP needed to win big, they would’ve hoped that their top-order fires. But that didn’t happen as the top three were back in the hut inside 4 overs.

On a pitch that was offering something to the pacers, Chris Gayle was strangled down leg-side, before Aaron Finch was squared up by a beauty from Deepak Chahar.

But it was the wicket of KL Rahul that was the biggest blow, as he was the in-form batsman. He shouldered arms to a Lungi Ngidi delivery which came back in off the pitch.

Hence, the KXIP top-order failed under pressure and it put them in a bad position at the start of the game.

#1 Hit: Lungi Ngidi

Ngidi was brilliant with the new ball and finished well with the old ball as well

Lungi Ngidi has been very good in the 5 games he’s played. He’s given MS Dhoni a lot more control.

However, he’s had his share of ups and downs in this two months. He didn’t get a game at the start of the tournament. Then he had a major setback (the demise of his father) and had to head back home.

Once he returned, he made his debut in the fag end of April. He played three games and sat out for the next few as CSK tried David Willey.

But from the time, he has made a comeback in the XI, he’s been excellent. In this game, he bowled beautifully, as he picked up 4/10 in his four overs. He hit excellent lengths and was also spot on with his line.

In his first over, he got a touch lucky as he got Chris Gayle strangled down leg-side. But he then got the big wicket of KL Rahul who shouldered arms to a delivery that nipped back in.

He had set Rahul up with a string of away-going deliveries and then surprised him with an excellent nip-backer.

He bowled three overs on the trot in the powerplay and had figures of 2/7. He then came back in the 18th over and scalped a couple more wickets, as he finished with his best T20 figures.