Left-arm spinner Pawan Negi isn’t a regular member of the Delhi state team, and it has a very little to do with ability. However, when the cricketer plays for the Chennai Super Kings, he gets a lot of attention as being a vital link in the chain.
This demonstrates captain MS Dhoni’s ability to recognise talent. This is what makes Dhoni stand out as captain among captains. He knows which player can do what and often extracts the best from the worst situations.
After CSK lost to the Mumbai Indians in the first qualifier on Tuesday, not many doubted the chances of Dhoni’s team coming back strongly into the tournament. CSK eventually did what they do best.
They played like champions and managed to beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the second qualifier, in Ranchi, on Friday. Right now, CSK is all set to take on Mumbai’s home team, again, in the IPL final match at the Eden Gardens, in Kolkata, on Sunday.
Almost two years ago, these two teams played each other during the 2013 IPL final. CSK had lost that match by 23 runs and Mumbai were the champions for the first time that year.
Since then, a lot has changed. Mumbai have some of the core members from that year’s champion team, but a lot of them are now playing for different teams. Dwayne Smith was one such player who consistently have a good start to many a Mumbai innings.
But the same Smith is CSK’s regular opener. There are still some players like Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga and Ambati Rayudu, who have been keys in Mumbai’s success, then and now.
But it’s only Rohit Sharma who enjoys the best of form at the Eden Gardens. It’s a home away from home for Rohit. The Eden Gardens is also the closest venue from Dhoni’s home. The good thing is that Dhoni doesn’t give much thought to the venue.
To MS, all that matters is playing good cricket and sticking to the right game plan. In all the previous seasons, any team eyeing the IPL trophy had to beat CSK along the way.
This year’s final is no exception. It is for this very reason that fans in the City of Joy want to encounter this match. It is going to be a cracker!
