KL Rahul scored a blistering knock against CSK in their 6-wicket win. (Source: AP)KL Rahul’s scintillating 36-ball-71 paved the way for a consolation six-wicket victory for Kings XI Punjab here Sunday but not before CSK ensured a top-two finish with chance to play the first IPL Qualifier at their happy hunting home ground Chepauk.
With nothing to lose in the final game of the season, Rahul, Chris Gayle (28 off 28 balls) and Nicholas Pooran (36 off 22 balls) were the key contributors in KXIP’s successful chase of 171 in in 18 overs.
However CSK will be happy that with a net run-rate of +0.131 which is far better than Delhi Capitals’ (+0.044), the defending champions will remain in the top two with two clear shots at summit clash qualification even if MI beat KKR in the evening game.
Such was Rahul’s domination that Universe Boss Gayle’s run-a-ball knock paled in in comparison as the duo added 108 runs in only 10.3 overs to seal the match.
While senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh got three wickets, he was hit for 57 runs in four overs.
In fact, Dhoni’s ploy to use Harbhajan in the Powerplays which had worked wonderfully at the Chepauk, backfired on a placid Mohali track as he went for 41 runs in his first two overs –17 in the first and 24 in the second.
In that second Harbhajan over which was fourth of the innings, Rahul hit the veteran for three boundaries and two sixes, completing his half-century off 19 balls.
He scored at fast clip albeit coming only after skipper Ravichandran Ashwin’s public admission that KXIP’s Powerplay batting left a lot to be desired.
Harbhajan was far better in his final two overs as he took three wickets for 16 runs including Rahul, Gayle and Mayank Agarwal. However Pooran played a cameo to ensure happy ending for the home team.
Earlier, Faf du Plessis missed out on a well-deserved hundred by four runs as Kings XI Punjab bowled well at the death to restrict Chennai Super Kings to 170 for 5. Courtesy Du Plessis’ 96 off 55 balls and his 120-run stand with Suresh Raina (53 off 38 balls) set a platform for the defending champions.
However Sam Curran (3/35) and Mohammed Shami (2/17 in 3 overs) bowled well in the final few overs as CSK seemed at least 10 runs short of par score.
Du Plessis’ knock had 10 fours and four sixes and was dismissed by brilliant Curran yorker in the 19th over.
Du Plessis destroyed the Kings XI bowling attack, particularly punishing medium pacer Andrew Tye (0/37 in 3 overs) and spinner Murugan Ashwin (0/33 in 3 overs), hitting two boundaries and a six in one of their over.
Raina gave him good support at the other end, hitting five boundaries and two sixes.
Raina, who along with du Plessis tried to accelerate the pace of scoring, fell when the score was 150 in the 17th over off Curran’s bowling. The England all-rounder at the onset had dismissed Shane Watson.
Ambati Rayudu (10) and Kedar Jadhav’s (0) wickets were claimed by pacer Mohd Shami in the final over of the innings.
Had to keep in mind to at least qualify for top 2: Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s aim was to take the game against KXIP deep and ensure a top-two finish for defending champions CSK once he realised that the KL Rahul blitzkrieg has sealed the deal for the home team.
A team that enters IPL play-offs as either table-toppers or No. 2 would get two clear shots at summit clash qualification.
“If you can’t win a game, you make sure you get the opposition to get the runs in most number of overs. (Qualifying for top 2) Yes, and that’s something you have to keep in mind,” Dhoni said after the match.
“We want to win the game, but if the opposition does well, you have to quickly adapt and re-assess,” said Dhoni at the post match presentation ceremony.
Dhoni applauded his bowlers for pulling things back and not letting KXIP batsmen finish the game earlier.
“The first seven overs, we were quite down, but then the bowlers were able to pull things back a little bit. They bowled well in the last 8-9 overs for us.”
The former India captain said KXIP put on a good batting effort.
“You need to give credit to them. They bowled really well. We had to get a par score, but it was difficult with their three spinners…it was difficult to manoeuvre in the first 6 overs.
“Overall, it was a really good batting effort from their side. KL (Rahul, who scored 36-ball 71) batted really well and (Nicholas) Pooran towards the end was good with his lusty hits. We did whatever we could, it did not work for us.”
KXIP skipper Ravichandran Ashwin said his team would have to build a core group for the next seasons.
“We haven’t qualified but we have to build a core group to keep going for the next few seasons. CSK has a fulcrum of how they go about things, same with MI, Sunrisers Hyderabad does it differently. We have to look at that in the future. We have to post a score that you can defend and some of the best teams do that very consistently,” said Ashwin.
India off-spinner said his team failed to win the close humdingers during the league phase.
“It was not easy for us, but we haven’t been outplayed much in many games, except against Sunrisers Hyderabad. We just haven’t been able to close out the close humdingers.
“We have played some good cricket, and building on this is very important. There are a few reasons, we didn’t close out games, particularly in the Powerplay and our middle-order. I feel that when teams plan and come back to us, we need to respond properly.That’s where some teams tick the box – they have played together for a long time,” he said.
Man-of-the-match K L Rahul admitted that he finally played freely as his team had nothing to lose with KXIP already out of the play-offs race.
KL Rahul and Chris Gayle stitched a 100-run knock for the opening wicket. (Source: AP)“I’ve been holding myself back till the last game, because my role was different — playing 20 overs and holding up one end. We knew there wasn’t much left for us in this game. But sometimes, you have to alter your game and play according to how the team wants, but tonight I was playing much more freely.
“It came out very well today as my strike-rate was much higher. But looking back at it from a personal and team point of view, my strike-rate has dropped, but I have won more games for my team this year,” said the opener.
Rahul said when a batsman has runs behind him, he could play with a lot more freedom.
“You have to curb your shots at times, and if I did that last year, we could have done better. Having runs behind you always helps you play with a lot of freedom and not think too much and just react to the ball – that only helps you when you have runs behind you,” he said.
