IPL 2021 Final, CSK vs KKR: Who won yesterday’s match?

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) clinched their fourth Indian Premier League (IPL) title by thumping the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 27 runs in Dubai on Friday.

Faf Du Plessis’ brilliant 59-ball 86 guided CSK to 192 for 3 after they were sent into bat by KKR in the IPL 2021 final. Shardul Thakur (3/38), Ravindra Jadeja (2/37) and Josh Hazlewood (2/29) then combined to restrict KKR to 165 for 9.

Kolkata got off yet another to a sublime start in the chase as openers Venkatesh Iyer (50) and Shubman Gill (51) added 91 to give the team a shot at CSK’s total. However, once the pair was separated, KKR were never in the hunt.

The golden arm of Thakur again worked its magic. The CSK pacer sent back Iyer in the 11th over as the KKR opener sliced one up in the air towards deep point. Jadeja misjudged the skier, but ended up holding on to the much-important catch.

With Rahul Tripathi having limped off the field during CSK’s innings, Nitish Rana came into bat at no.3. The move did not work though. The left-hander chipped one from Thakur that stopped on him straight to mid-off before he could open his account.

Sunil Narine’s promotion also did not bear fruit for KKR in the final. The pinch-hitter slapped a short ball from Hazlewood towards deep midwicket. Had the catch been misjudged, the ball would have sailed over the ropes. However, Jadeja timed his leap to perfection to sink KKR further in the chase. Gill reached a half-century off 40 balls with a four off Jadeja, but the task had become rather uphill for KKR.

Deepak Chahar ended Gill’s knock on 51 as the KKR opener missed a full-toss, attempting a scoop, and was trapped dead in front, so much so that the CSK pacer did not even bother appealing and started celebrating right away. At 108 for 4, CSK were very much in the driver’s seat.

Things were much brighter for KKR at the start. CSK could have sent back the dangerous Iyer for a duck. However, Dhoni grassed an edge off Hazlewood as the left-hander had a go at one outside off stump. Iyer celebrated his life by pulling the next ball over fine leg for a maximum.

Iyer carried on his fine form, easing his way to two fours against Chahar in the next over. Knowing they cannot slow down, the KKR openers kept throwing their bat around. Thakur was introduced in the fifth over and Iyer slapped him for consecutive fours. A pull was gloved over the keeper while a ball down leg was flicked past short fine leg.

In the last over of the powerplay, Gill came down the track and smacked a four past extra cover. At 55 for no loss, KKR were very much in the chase.

Dhoni introduced left-arm spinner Jadeja in the 8th over and Iyer walloped the last ball over wide long on for a six. Bringing all his experience into play, Dwayne Bravo conceded only eight runs in his first two overs to keep the pressure on KKR openers.

Iyer began the next over by whacking Jadeja for a six over deep square leg. The KKR opener reached yet another fifty off 31 balls. There was a bizarre moment in the over as Gill was caught at deep midwicket. However, replays showed the ball hitting the spider-cam and the delivery was declared a dead ball. Gill rubbed salts into CSK’s wounds by walloping Jadeja for two consecutive fours. At the halfway stage, KKR reached 88 with the openers still together. It all fell apart rather swiftly though.

The non-performing middle and lower order came back to haunt KKR. Dinesh Karthik pulled the first ball he faced from Chahar over deep backward square leg for a maximum. However, he perished to Jadeja for 9, swinging a short ball straight into the hands of deep backward square leg.

The CSK left-arm spinner then got one to skid past Shakib Al Hasan’s (0) bat and trapped him plumb in front of the stumps. From 91 for no loss to 120 for 6, KKR’s innings had derailed in similar fashion to their slump against Delhi Capitals in Qualifier 2.

The injured Rahul Tripathi, who was responsible for putting KKR in the final with that last-over six, came out to bat at no.8. He gave a catch to long-on off Thakur’s bowling having made two but the game was well beyond KKR’s grasp by then.

Skipper Eoin Morgan’s woeful campaign with the bat ended in disastrous fashion as he was smartly caught by Chahar off Hazlewood at fine-leg for 4. After taking the catch, the fielder lobbed the ball in the air as he was going over the ropes. He came back in and calmly completed the dismissal.

Shivam Mavi (20) and Lockie Ferguson (18 not out) swung their bat around in the last couple of overs but it only brought down the margin of defeat. CSK would have cared little.

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Du Plessis smashes 86 off 59 as CSK post 192 for 3

CSK opener Faf du Plessis. Pic: IPLT20.COM

Du Plessis scored a brilliant 86 off 59 balls as CSK put up an impressive 192 for 3 batting first in the final. Sent into bat after losing the toss, CSK got off to a bright start yet again with Du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad (32 off 27) adding a crisp 61 for the opening wicket.

Du Plessis was well supported by blazing cameos from Robin Uthappa (31 off 15) and Moeen Ali (37 not out off 20) as CSK never allowed the KKR bowlers to settle. For the bowling side, two of their big guns had an off-day. Lockie Ferguson went for 56 in his four and Varun Chakravarthy for 38. Both of them were wicketless as well.

There was a massive moment very early in the final as Dinesh Karthik missed a stumping of Du Plessis when the South African was on 2. Shakib Al Hasan dragged the CSK opener out of his crease with a nicely tossed-up delivery, but the keeper failed to collect the ball. What should have been a wicket-taking over ended up going for 13 as Gaikwad clubbed the bowler for four and six respectively. A full delivery was swept to deep backward square leg while the next one was pulled to deep midwicket.

Finding the boundaries at regular intervals, the CSK openers eased to 50 for no loss at the end of the powerplay. There was some respite for KKR as the prolific Gaikwad sliced Sunil Narine to long-off. The joy was short-lived for the fielding side though as Uthappa came in and got into his act from the word go. The veteran batter hammered Shakib for two sixes in the 10th over - one over long-off and the other over deep midwicket. At 80 for 1, CSK were well-placed to finish with a handsome total in the final.

The next over, bowled by Ferguson, went for 17. After slapping the KKR pacer for two boundaries, Du Plessis brought up his fifty off 35 balls by clattering the bowler over long-off for a maximum. Uthappa too hit a couple more sixes off KKR’s spinners. However, he perished leg before to Narine, completely missing a premeditated reverse sweep.

Moeen came in and carried on the good work. He spanked Shivam Mavi for two maximums in the 17th over. The first was swung over deep midwicket and the second straight down the ground. Du Plessis then continued to punish Ferguson, who had a miserable outing. After swinging a slow ball over cover for six, he found a boundary by whipping the next ball over midwicket.

Moeen helped himself to a four and a six, throwing his bat at Chakravarthy in the penultimate over. Mavi bowled a good last over, conceding only seven. Du Plessis was dismissed on the last ball, playing a tired swing to long-on. The South African ended his IPL 2021 campaign on 633 runs, two short of his opening partner Gaikwad (635), who went past KL Rahul (626) during his knock to claim the Orange Cap.

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IPL 2021 Final, CSK vs KKR: Who was the Man of the Match?

Du Plessis was superb for CSK in the final. He was content rotating the strike when Gaikwad teed off at the start. However, following Gaikwad’s dismissal, he guided the innings with a wonderful knock.

When CSK bowled, Thakur yet again stood out with key wickets, claiming three in all. Hazlewood and Jadeja played their part with two apiece.

For KKR, Narine was the lone ranger with the ball, claiming 2 for 26. Openers Iyer and Gill kept the team in the hunt with fine fifties.

CSK opener Du Plessis was named Man of the Match for his stupendous knock.