HomeChennai Super KingsIPL 2018: CSK Knock KXIP Out After Suresh Raina...

IPL 2018: CSK Knock KXIP Out After Suresh Raina Special

- Advertisement -

Chennai Super Kings beat Kings XI Punjab in match number 56 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 to finish second in the table. They will now face Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 1 on May 22. In pursuit of 154 runs in 20 overs, CSK chased down the target with five wickets to spare. MS Dhoni will be a happy skipper as CSK knock KXIP out after Suresh Raina special.
The southpaw hit an unbeaten 61 runs to make sure CSK end with a bang and go into the Qualifiers with a lot of positivity and zeal. CSK bowled superbly earlier after a four-wicket spell from Lungi Ngidi stunned KXIP in Pune. A top order failure never allowed them to get the runs they would have desired. Karun Nair scored the lone fifty for KXIP with a classy 26-ball 54.
KXIP bowled and kept CSK in control for most parts, but Raina’s heroics and a stunner from Deepak Chahar (39) saw they chase down the target in 19.1 overs. KXIP needed to win the match by a 58-run margin to seal play-offs berth, but it wasn’t meant to be.

Here is the match in numbers.

  1. This was the 19th meeting between the two sides with CSK capping off a 11-8 margin.
  2. CSK also took a 5-4 margin in matches outside their respective home grounds.
  3. CSK ended with a 6-1 margin at home this season that includes Chennai and now Pune.
  4. This was KXIP’s fifth successive loss in IPL 2018.
  5. Raina reached 4931 runs in IPL and is trailing highest-scorer Virat Kohli by just 17 runs.
  6. KXIP exited in the group stages for the ninth time in 11 seasons.
  7. CSK finished in top four for the ninth time they have featured in IPL.
  8. KXIP’s Andrew Tye ended as the leading wicket-taker in the group stage (24).
  9. Both CSK and RR, who returned after a two-year ban, qualified for the playoffs.
  10. MS Dhoni crossed 4000+ runs in IPL and is the seventh batsman to do so.
  11. Ngidi bowled the joint-most economical four-wicket spell (4/10) in IPL 2018. He equalled Ashish Nehra’s tally.

Raina a special treat

Suresh Raina defied KXIP so brilliantly that it was so pleasing to the eye. He came to the crease when CSK was 3/1 and played until the 20th over to see his side go past the line. Raina took his time in the middle and catered to ones and twos. But in the end, he accelerated when needed and finished with a flair. Four fours and two sixes was all he got on Sunday, but it was a classy punch.
After hitting two boundaries in the fourth over, Raina hit his next boundary in the 19th. That’s when he smashed Andrew Tye for two sixes and two fours to take the game away from the visitors. His 56-run stand with Deepak Chahar changed the momentum in the match especially when CSK were reeling at 58/4 at one stage. The experienced campaigner.

- Advertisement -

KXIP failed to rise from the failed momentum

Imagine losing five matches in a row in the most pivotal stage of the tournament. KXIP never looked like getting to playoffs even if they had a slim chance. The top order failure hurt them immensely against CSK. A side that was heavily dependant on KL Rahul and Chris Gayle atop, lost them cheaply and never seemed to recover from there on.
Manoj Tiwary (35 off 30) and David Miller (24 of 22) showed some resistance, putting on a 60-run stand for the fourth wicket. But once Tiwary got out, KXIP’s challenge once again derailed. Karun Nair showed tremendous fight down the order, hitting some lusty blows. But the right-handed batsman lacked support from the other end as the visitors again lost three wickets of Axar Patel (14), Ravichandran Ashwin (0) and Andrew Tye (0) in quick succession.

Proteas Lungi a revelation

The bowler showed enough promise in the Test series against India earlier this year and since then it has gone very well for Ngidi. He was the wrecker-in-chief for the southern giants with stunning figures of 4/10 from his four overs.
He picked both the wickets of Rahul and Gayle and Punjab were left reeling at 16/3 after the first four overs with Chahar sending Aaron Finch back too. The youngster came back once again in the end to get the wickets of R Ashwin and Tye. Lungi bowled very accurate and gave away just 10 runs from four overs. Lungi has the best bowling economy of 6.11 in the tournament and has already picked nine wickets in five games.
 

- Advertisement -

15 Highly Educated Cricketers Of All Time

Cricket is a game of passion and dedication. A sport in which one involves themselves in camps and practice since early childhood. Due to...

Do we often under-appreciate Andy Flower? What’s his legacy?

There's a hint of sadness in noting that Zimbabwe has never been a dominant power in world cricket. But nothing could be sadder than...

Why are more and more MotoGP riders using the Noson nasal dilator?

Introduction MotoGP riders or athletes are physically fit and healthy individuals and their muscles are continuously functioning and used during the performance. As a fan...

How Come UFC Fighters Have Cauliflower Ears But Boxers Don’t?

The UFC has come a long way since its early days, wherein the fights seemed like modern-day gladiators due to its brutality and inconsistent...

5 spinners who can be India’s potential finger-spinners

The Indian cricket team has always been proud of its ability to produce world-class batsmen and similarly potent spinners. Though in recent times, the...

IPL 2018: The beautiful Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

Being seated in the Sawai Mansingh stadium brings a different world, a world of difference away from the palpable excitement of watching truly India’s...

The astonishing decline of Mario Balotelli

There was a time when Mario Balotelli was on top of the world.  The Italian talisman had scored two goals in the Euro 2012 semi-finals,...

Top 5 Left Wingers In The World, Based On 2019-20 Season

Owing to the fact that football has evolved a lot since its inception and the tactics have changed a lot, the role of wingers...

What can be expected from the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?

Heat in the air and heat inside the car- that's been the story of the Azerbaijan Grand prix. As F1 parks itself at Baku...

How Suresh Raina Batted India Into The Finals of 2011 World Cup

Its been 9 years, since India won the Cricket World Cup defeating Sri Lanka on 2 April, 2011. The images and visuals of...

IPL 2018: The best from the West Indies

When one of nature's treacherous attacks on mankind- earthquakes- strike, their impact is measured on Richter's scale. When West Indians strike in a tournament...

Big change for India Women’s cricket as BCCI looks to finalise bowling coach soon

We are not even at the halfway stage of the 2018 cricketing season. It clearly seems there's no stopping India's women's cricket team. The...

Age Fraud in Indian Cricket: Are players really to be blamed?

There have been times while watching a cricket match when we tend to hear commentators comment on cricketers’ age. We as fans have many...

Ajax XI if they didn’t sell their star players

Based in Amsterdam, AFC Ajax, who incidentally draw their name from the legendary Greek hero of the same name, are the most successful club...

5 famous players to play for both Leeds United and Liverpool

Leeds United are back in the Premier League after 16 years and will play Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday in their very first match...

- Advertisement -

- Advertisement -