OTD: CSK won their fourth IPL title in 2021

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) faced Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final of the IPL 2021 On October 15. The tournament started on April 9 in India. But on May 4, the tournament was suspended indefinitely after a rise in COVID-19 cases within the bio bubbles of some teams. At the time of suspension, a total of 31 of the scheduled 60 matches were still left to be played. 

On May 29, the BCCI announced that the remaining matches will be played in September and October in the UAE. CSK finished in second place in the points table at the end of the league stage and defeated the Delhi Capitals in the first qualifier to make it to the final.

KKR had an arduous journey when the tournament was played in India, as they had won two out of the first seven games. However, in the UAE, KKR won five of their remaining seven matches to proceed to the next stage in dramatic fashion. In the Eliminator, KKR defeated the Royal Challengers Bengaluru by four wickets while in the Qualifier 2, the team defeated the Delhi Capitals by three wickets.

The final of the tournament was played between CSK and KKR. It was the second time the two teams had faced each other in the final of the IPL since 2012. KKR won the final in 2012, but this time the story changed.

KKR won the toss and elected to bowl in the final. Faf du Plessis’ knock of 86 runs off 59 deliveries helped CSK post a total of 192 runs for the loss of three wickets. No other batter managed to score more than 35 runs for the team. Sunil Narine was the pick of the bowlers for KKR and took two wickets for 26 runs in four overs.

Shubman Gill and Venkatesh Iyer provided a solid start to KKR and added 91 runs for the first wicket. Both batters scored a half-century each. The remaining six batters were dismissed for a single-digit score, and KKR lost a total of eight wickets for just 28 runs. Lockie Ferguson and Shivam Mavi had a partnership of 39 runs for the ninth wicket. But it was not enough. KKR finished with 165 runs for the loss of nine wickets and lost the match by 27 runs. CSK lifted the IPL trophy for the fourth time.

Du Plessis won the Player of the Match award for his batting performance. Harshal Patel finished as the leading wicket-taker and took 32 wickets in 15 games at an average of 14.34 and won the Player of the Tournament award while Ruturaj Gaikwad won the Orange Cap for being the leading run-scorer. Gaikwad became only the second player to win the IPL winner and the Orange Cap winner in the same season. He also won the Emerging Player of the Season.

Disclaimer: This Exclusive News is based on the author’s understanding, analysis, and instinct. As you review this information, consider the points mentioned and form your own conclusions.

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