The Kolkata Knight Riders proved a tough nut to crack for the Chennai Super Kings but not tough enough as Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side clinched its second Champions League T20 title at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.
CSK defeated the Knight Riders by eight wickets, with nine balls remaining in the big final. Suresh Raina and Pawan Negi instrumented the Super Kings’ win and stopped Knight Riders’ juggernaut, when it mattered the most.
Super Kings lost opener Dwayne Smith cheaply but Raina and Brendon McCullum took the opposition on. They after getting their eyes in, started to thrash the opposition and made a 118-run partnership for the second wicket.
The stage was set and skipper MS Dhoni promoted himself up the order to finish things off for his side. Dhoni and Raina made an unbeaten 58 runs partnership for the third wicket and helped them register a clinical performance.
Dhoni (23 not out) finished things off in style by hitting Yusuf Pathan for two sixes in the penultimate over to close out the game, while Raina finished on an unbeaten 109.
“We have been here before in 2010, but it has been a long time since then. So very happy,” Ashwin said. “He (Raina) was hitting sixes like he was picking up peanuts. This is a small ground but he was hitting sixes for time pass.”
Earlier, put into bat, the Knight Riders were off to a blistering stand as openers Robin Uthappa and skipper Gautam Gambhir stitched a 91-run partnership. The reigning Indian Premier League (IPL) champions were on course of a massive partnership but CSK turned the tide.
After the departure of Uthappa (39), Gambhir continued the onslaught and made a fine 52-ball 80, featuring three mighty sixes. Manish Pandey continued his fine showing but his innings never took off like the Knight Riders’ innings.
Left-arm spinner Negi produced the best bowling figures by an Indian in the Champions League and finished with a fifer, in only his second CLT20 game. He played a crucial role in knotting the Knight Riders when they tried to up the ante.
Yusuf Pathan, meanwhile, showed why he is a dangerous player at the end. He smashed a few at the end and played a nine-ball cameo, featuring one six and two fours. Pathan (20 not out) helped KKR reach 180, but they fell short by 15-20 runs at the end.
