Champion Super Kings Deny the Knights a Third

CSK 2021 IN A NUTSHELL

From 2018 - 2021, have been 4 years of roller coaster rides for the mighty Kings. Finally, they said they had had enough of it and threw the kitchen sink at this shot. It had to be now or never for MS Dhoni's future as captain as well as player. After being crowned the winners in 2018 (courtesy a Shane Watson century), the runners up by just a single run in 2019 (courtesy a Lasith Malinga special last ball wicket) and having the worst of the seasons in 2021 (courtesy lack of game time for the seniors), they started for the first time as second to the favourites Mumbai Indians. Losing the first game to Delhi did not help their cause and probably neither did the over rate. But, they did it again, came back and hit harder, snatching a huge victory against Punjab Kings. And, from then on, they never stopped- crunching Rajasthan, dumping Bangalore but the time when people thought it was again going to sink, was the match against MI. However, they continued their dream run to glory and, ultimately, the trophy. 

KKR 2021 IN A NUTSHELL

2021 for the men in purple was a bit haywire but, as they say, all's well that ends well. Being the runners up from a no hope situation required the comeback that Sunil Narine, Shubhman gill, Nitish Rana, Venkatesh Iyer and Rahul Tripathi did. They started well but lost to Mumbai in a match where they required a run a ball. Then, Russell and other finishers lost their way which left no option but only the top order to fire, which they did in UAE. While the break between the two legs was mighty helpful for them, they also won due to a do or die state. The attacking intent helped them to their way. It was also a bit of luck (results going their way and the unbelievable spider cam). In the final, the same problem persisted- their middle order disappointed them. 

Strategies Comparison

While CSK were crystal-clear with what was to be done and what roles heir players played in each part, KKR took a lot of time in identifying their potentially best 11 and combinations. First and foremost, the openers never seemed confident with each other. Shubhman Gill did not get those matchups right. While Rana had to be the anchor, Gill was failing to get off as the designated aggressor, which added extra pressure on his counterpart although he managed that beautifully. But, then, something had to be changed. In the UAE leg, Morgan tried Venkatesh Iyer who seemed to come out as the talk of the tournament. It seemed as though the gas had just exploded. A solid middle order comprising of Rana, Tripathi, Shakib and Morgan clicked at the right time. The lower order- Karthik, Narine, Cummins and Russell gave the blast any world team would envy. Narine and Chakravarthy together formed a formidable spin duo. While Russell was threatening with his yokers at the death, Ferguson, Mavi and Shakib never let the game run away to the others. 

While KKR took a while to do this, CSK, it felt, started from where they left in 2019. After a horrible 2020, they were back to being the table-toppers. Though their opening combination of Gaikwad and du Plessis took a time to get set, it was the best part of them after a couple of matches or so. Moeen Ali, Suresh Raina and Ambati Rayudu were ever ready to take on the bowling. Coincidence or maturity- whatever you think- when one did not get going the other did the extra parts. Lower down the order, everyone contributed some runs. Dhoni did it in Q2, Chahar vs KKR, Bravo almost won it against DC and Shardul was in with his usual support at the other end. In the field, they had du Plessis although Jadeja stole the show mostly. Bowling had been all about match-ups. Moeen and Chahar had a good time. Jadeja is Jadeja. Shardul continued his knack of taking wickets at crucial times. While Bravo continued with his slower balls, Curran denied batters the room they would have wanted. Overall, captain Dhoni had a good season unlike batter Dhoni.

Faf du Plessis (Best Performance: 86 off 59 against KKR final)

Although Faf du Plessis missed on the orange cap by just two runs, his season was no joke. Having amassed 633 runs, he was the second highest run-getter this season. With an average of over 45 and strike rate of 138, he played the role he was expected to do. Caught on the last ball of the match by the boundary rider, he played selflessly. He could have gone for the grounded shot to acclaim the orange cap but, if there was a reason Chennai won, it was him. He scored 6 half centuries in 16 matches with a highest score of 95*. 

Ruturaj Gaikwad (Best Performance: 88* off 58 against MI match 30)

Another opener who was the star of the season, Gaikwad was a pure positive. Part of his success can be attributed to MS. Had he not backed him even after 4 unsuccessful outings, the orange cap winner would not have been from CSK. With his maiden IPL century, he silenced all critics. Though he flopped on the big night, he contributed in the lead up to the final and played an unforgettable role (with DJ Bravo) to defeat arch rivals Mumbai Indians taking the team home from a situation of turmoil.

Ravindra Jadeja (Best Performance: 22 off 8 & 1/21 (4) against KKR match 38)

2021 was another IPL edition that belonged to Jadeja. From showing his mettle with the bat vs KKR and RCB (remember the 37-run over?) to making it 4 in the field vs RR or sheer brilliance vs PBKS, he unleashed his skills in all the 3 traits while also being economical in every game. While also being an entertainment in the field, he is a close buddy of MS Dhoni. His role for the team might see him captain another team next year.

Deepak Chahar (Best Performance: 4/13 (4) against PBKS match 8)

Not quite a breakthrough season for the seamer, 2021 saw many ups and downs. In a couple of matches, he was smacked all around by batters but, when he performed, he was the reason for the team to win. He is primarily a powerplay bowler as we saw vs PBKS where he picked up a 4-fer. However, when needed, the team man bowled at the death as well. Not that I see him retained for the mega-auction, but he might get prices for his showings this season.