5 great IPL matches over the years

In an ideal world, cricket players, commentators, experts and fans around the globe would have been discussing about the IPL 2020 season which was scheduled to start on March 29. But unfortunate events have deprived of all the fun and it is one of the very rare scenarios where there is no live cricket on TV and the sad part is no one is sure when it will resume.

While TV channels have opted to telecast some classic matches from the past, its time to revisit some of the great matches in IPL over the years.

# 5: IPL 2010 (Match 54): KXIP vs CSK

MS Dhoni

These are the games that enhanced the reputation of MS Dhoni as one of the best finishers limited overs cricket has ever seen.

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were on the brink of elimination when they travelled to Dharamsala to play against Kings XI Punjab. The men in yellow had to win this game to reach the semi finals.

Australian opener Shaun Marsh’s terrific unbeaten 57-ball 88 along with a late cameo from Irfan Pathan (44 off 27 balls) ensured Kings XI Punjab finished with a very healthy 192-3 from their 20 overs.

CSK were in early trouble at 27-2 after both openers were back in the dugout within the first 4 overs. Suresh Raina and S Badrinath stitched together a decent partnership for the third wicket that set the stage for a MSD special.

Walking into bat at the halfway stage, Dhoni was very calculative in his assault against particular bowlers. These were the situations that the former India captain would thrive upon.

Needing 16 off the last over from Irfan Pathan, the CSK skipper finished the match off the first 4 deliveries to send his team to the semifinals and eventually lift their maiden IPL title.

# 4: IPL 2011 (Match 70): KKR vs MI

Ambati Rayudu

The IPL 2011 season didn’t give the fans too many close games until this one at the iconic Eden Gardens ground when Gautam Gambhir’s Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) hosted Sachin Tendulkar’s Mumbai Indians (MI).

Mumbai Indians are known to pull the rabbit out of the hat and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. This match certainly falls in that bracket with the visitors winning off the last ball, that left the full house at Kolkata shell-shocked.

After sent into bat, KKR managed to put on very decent 175-7 with contributions from Jacques Kallis (59), Yusuf Pathan (36) and Manoj Tiwary (35). It looked a winning score when MI’s big hitter Keiron Pollard was dismissed with 40 to get off just 15 balls.

It all came down to an improbable 21 runs for MI to win off the final over. New Zealand all rounder James Franklin took on L Balaji and smashed him for four boundaries off the first 4 balls and left Ambati Rayudu to get 4 off the last ball to seal the thriller.

A very poor full toss on the pads enabled Rayudu to smash it into the crowd to seal an incredible win for MI. A true Javed Miandad moment for Ambati Rayudu.

# 3: IPL 2014 (Match 56): MI vs RR

Mumbai Indians won a thriller.

Another thriller that involved the Mumbai Indians (MI) and this time it was in their own backyard, at the Wankhede Stadium. Although Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals needed a win in order to qualify for the playoffs, it was the former who was under even more pressure because they had to win with a big margin.

As always at the batting beauty at the Wankhede, MI won the toss and decided to chase down the opposition score.

Terrific half centuries from Sanju Samson (74 off 47) and Karun Nair (50 off 27) helped the Royals to a big score of 189-4. It was as such a big score to chase but the task seemed all the more difficult as Rohit Sharma’s side had to get them in a mere 14.3 overs in order to progress in the tournament.

Also see – IPL 2020 squad

Mumbai Indians were looking at an early exit after the dismissals of big-hitting Keiron Pollard and their captain Rohit Sharma inside 10 overs. But the home side had found a new hero on the night in the likes of New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson who smashed a 44-ball 95.

The game saw lots of drama when Rayudu was run out off the 3rd ball of the 15th over and at that stage everyone thought the match was out of the home side’s hands but after lots of conversations between the umpires on and off the field, it was decided that a boundary will still be good enough to improve their NRR in order to qualify.

The crowd was buzzing and in ran James Faulkner who delivered a waist-high full toss on leg stump to Aditya Tare only for the batsman to smash it over the boundary ropes. It must have been an unforgettable night for the home fans.

# 2: IPL 2018 (Match 24): RCB vs CSK

MS Dhoni

Over the years, the rivalry between CSK and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has evolved into a very intense one thats eagerly awaited by both sets of fans. This was missing for two years because of the ban on CSK in 2016 and 2017.

The men in yellow were making a comeback in 2018 and the hype was justified in this run-scoring fest at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru.

The South African pair of Quinton de Kock (53 off 37) and AB de Villiers (68 off 30) ensured RCB posted a competitive 205-8, a score which was by no means a winning one on the small ground with a lightening-fast outfield.

CSK lost early wickets and at one stage were struggling at 74-4 in the 10th over but the fans knew that no match is over until their captain is waiting in the wings. In walked the calm and composed MS Dhoni to join the in-form Ambati Rayudu. The skipper with the help of Rayudu (82 off 53) calculated the chase to perfection as he took the game deep before closing it off with 2 balls to spare.

Dhoni’s unbeaten 34-ball 70 once again proved why he is the best when it came to finishing off games and CSK were well and truly back into the league.

# 1: IPL 2019 (Final): MI vs CSK

Lasith Malinga

Low-scoring matches can be more interesting and exciting as this game proved between two of the most consistent teams in the league. Both MI and CSK made a lot of errors right through the game and in the end the former managed to squeeze in a 1-run win to lift the title for the fourth time.

In a tense final, runs on the board are crucial and thats what Rohit Sharma decided to do when he won the toss. The wicket looked a bit dry and the big ground in Hyderabad meant the bowlers were also in the game rather than it being a contest between bat and bat.

Despite their innings struggling to get any momentum, Mumbai Indians scraped through to a fighting 149-8, thanks to some lusty blows by West Indian Keiron Pollard (41 off 25) in the end.

In reply, Shane Watson (80 off 59) played the lone fighting hand for CSK who were benefitted by plenty of fielding lapses from MI but the match would eventually be remembered for the death-bowling exploits of Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah.

The Sri Lankan sling bowler, who went unsold in the 2018 player auctions, delivered on the big night as he trapped Shardul Thakur with a pin-point accurate slow ball off the final delivery to win the game. Bumrah’s 2-14 off 4 overs earned him the man-of-the-final award and rightly so.

It was a game that fluctuated right till the end and it was one great final to be remembered by the cricket fans.