IPL 2018, KXIP vs CSK: Hits and Misses

After witnessing some brutal batting earlier in the day where more than 400 runs were scored across both innings, it was another run-fest at Mohali.

Put in to bat by Chennai Super Kings (CSK), KL Rahul along with comeback man Chris Gayle got Punjab off to a flying start. The duo scored 75 in the powerplay as Gayle announced his return in style.

After Rahul’s dismissal for 37, Mayank Agarwal and Yuvraj Singh played decent hands as they scored 30 and 20 respectively. However, a slew of wickets halted KXIP’s charge as they could only manage 82 runs in the last 10 overs but because of the blistering start, the hosts ended at 197/7.

Chasing a bog total, CSK lost two wickets inside the powerplay despite scoring 53. CSK then lost Sam Billings in the 7th over and were under pressure. But a third-wicket partnership between MS Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu brought CSK back in the game.

But some fielding brilliance (run out) by skipper Ravichandran Ashwin brought the downfall of Rayudu (making 49). But MS Dhoni (who scored 79) kept CSK in the game till the last over but his back problem and an excellent last over from Mohit Sharma denied CSK another come-from-behind victory.

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#5 Hit: Imran Tahir

Imran Tahir came back strongly after a disappointing first over

After not completing his fours overs in both games, in this game, Imran Tahir came into bowl with the score 75/0 after 6 overs. And as soon as he was introduced KL Rahul struck a boundary before he was smashed for a four and a six by a rampaging Chris Gayle. He gave away 17 runs in his first over.

However, the South African leggie came back superbly. He gave away 7 runs in his next over (which included a six) before dismissing Mayank Agarwal and Aaron Finch off successive deliveries in his third to bring CSK back in the game.

He first dismissed Agarwal with a conventional leg-spinner and then he foxed Finch with a very good wrong’un and trapped him LBW.

After a 17-run first over, Tahir finished with figures of 2/34 in his fours overs. In the process, he also picked up his 50th IPL wicket.

#4 Miss: Aaron Finch

Finch now has two first-ball ducks this season

Aaron Finch is the only player who has represented 7 IPL teams. Kings XI Punjab is his 7th team and going into this IPL he was in decent form. He had donned a new role in the middle order and had taken Australia home (staying unbeaten) in last three games of the Trans-Tasmanian tri-series.

After missing the first game of this IPL (due to his wedding), Finch was dismissed for a golden duck against Royal Challengers Bangalore as he was out LBW to Umesh Yadav. It seemed like he was a touch rusty. However, for the second straight game, the Victoria batsman was dismissed for another golden duck.

Once again he was out LBW and this time against Imran Tahir. He’s certainly not had the best of starts to this IPL.

#3 Hit: Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle won the Man of the Match for his blistering 63

The Universe Boss is back and how! The last time Christopher Henry Gayle played a T20 game was on 3rd January earlier this year against New Zealand and scored a duck. He was one of the last players to be picked in this year’s auction.

After sitting out in the first two games, Kings XI Punjab surprised everybody when they picked Chris Gayle for this game. The big Jamaican hogged all the spotlight even before the first ball was bowled. He started off slowly as he got to 6 in 9 balls.

But he got going as he struck Harbhajan Singh for a four and a six in the fourth over. But Gayle really got stuck into Deepak Chahar as the 38-year-old West Indian hit the youngster for 2 fours and 2 sixes.

In the next over, he then brought up his fifty in just 22 balls before launching an attack on Tahir. Gayle was eventually dismissed for 63 in which he struck 7 fours and 4 sixes. The big West Indian made a successful comeback.

#2 Miss: Murali Vijay

Vijay opened the batting in place of Rayudu and disappointed

Having last played a T20 in April 2017 and established himself as a Test player, Murali Vijay was picked by his home-based franchise Chennai Super Kings in this auction.

However, his return to T20 cricket was delayed after he copped a blow on the ribs in the pre-season camp. But with Suresh Raina ruled out due to a calf injury, Vijay made a comeback to the CSK team.

Opening the batting along with Shane Watson in a chase of 198, Vijay got off to a slowish start as he was trying to get used to the pitch and conditions. But with Watson dismissed early, the onus was on Vijay to bat long and deep.

However, after striking a six with a wonderful pull shot, the Tamil Nadu opener fell to Andrew Tye’s knuckle-ball and departed for 12. It was not a great comeback for Vijay to IPL (or T20 cricket).

#1 Hit: MS Dhoni

Dhoni almost took CSK home from a very difficult situation

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been coping a lot of criticism for his T20 batting in recent times. However, he has silenced the critics in style. He scored 5 and 25 in the first two games, Dhoni walked into bat with CSK 56/3.

He started off well as he scored a couple of boundaries early and reached 12 off 6. He then knocked around a few deliveries and reached 23 off 20 balls.

After the end of the 12th over, MS Dhoni was struggling with some back issues and hence it was becoming difficult for him to run hard and also hit a few shots wide outside the off-stump.

But then Dhoni put his beast mode on as he struck the ball cleanly. But with 59 needed in 3 overs, the game looked beyond CSK even with Dhoni at the crease. He struck a four and a six in the 18th over to keep CSK in the game.

It was in the 19th over that Dhoni raised hopes of an unlikely CSK win. Dhoni hit a couple of sixes and a four to reduce the equation to 17 off the last over.

However, his back problems came to haunt him as it was difficult for Dhoni to reach out to those wide deliveries, but Mohit Sharma was spot on with his wide yorkers as Dhoni could only manage 10 runs as KXIP handed CSK their first defeat of the season.

Dhoni’s valiant 79 off 44 balls (with 6 fours and 5 sixes) was one of his best IPL knocks.