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The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) won the IPL trophy for the fourth time last week by defeating the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League 2021 Final. The Chennai-based franchise joined the Mumbai Indians in an elite group of IPL teams to have won the trophy in both India and the UAE.
The MS Dhoni-led outfit had a disappointing IPL 2020 season in the Gulf nation. Thus, not many fans expected CSK to win the title this year. However, the franchise proved everyone wrong and became four-time IPL winners.
While the Chennai-based outfit won their fourth title, their rivals, the Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) championship drought extended. Virat Kohli and co. qualified for the IPL 2021 playoffs but lost to KKR in the Eliminator match.
While the likes of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers are yet to win their first IPL trophy, the following three ex-RCB stars lifted the title with CSK this year.
#1 Cheteshwar Pujara
Cheteshwar Pujara returned to the IPL for the first time since 2014 and ended the tournament as champion. The Chennai Super Kings signed the Saurashtra batter at his base price during the auction.
Since the top-order of the Super Kings performed well in IPL 2021, the team management did not use Pujara's services in any game. The right-handed batter warmed the benches for the entire season but got to lift the IPL trophy for the first time last week.
Pujara played three seasons for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. He represented RCB in 14 matches from 2011 to 2013 before being released by the Bangalore-based franchise.
#2 Robin Uthappa
Robin Uthappa joined the Chennai Super Kings during the IPL 2021 Trade Window. The Rajasthan Royals traded him for a cash deal. Uthappa aimed to score 1,000 runs in IPL 2021, but he did not get a chance to showcase his talent until Suresh Raina got injured with very few games to go.
Uthappa played only four matches in the competition but made a significant impact. He scored a match-winning half-century in the Qualifier 1 match against the Delhi Capitals. Uthappa also played a decent cameo of 31 runs against his former team, KKR, in the summit clash.
Prior to his stints with CSK, KKR and RR, Uthappa played a couple of seasons for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2009 and 2010. Although the right-hander scored 374 runs in 2010, RCB released him before the 2011 season.
#3 Moeen Ali
Moeen Ali played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore during IPL 2020. He joined the Bangalore-based franchise in 2018 and performed well in the limited opportunities he received.
The Englishman moved to the Chennai Super Kings ahead of IPL 2021 and became a match-winner for the MS Dhoni-led outfit. Ali scored 357 runs in 15 matches at a strike rate of 137.30. He even scalped six wickets, with his best figures being 3/7.
It is rumored that Ali was once hesitant to ask MS Dhoni for a selfie during the early days of his international career. But in 2021, he played a vital role in the success of Dhoni's team and was spotted next to him when the CSK players posed for photos with the trophy.
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Poll : Should RCB consider bringing one or more of Ali, Pujara and Uthappa back?
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