Former champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) came up with a stellar performance, as the bowlers ensured that they tame fellow former champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Match 21 of the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL). Being played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, KKR eclipsed CSK in the final over by just 10 runs.
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Match report: Winning the toss, KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik elected to bat first. The decision turned out to be a good one, as opener Rahul Tripathi played a sublime knock of 81. It turned out to be the knock of the innings, as KKR were bundled out for a par total of 167, with Dwayne Bravo claiming 337.
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In reply, CSK were off to a decent start, as opener Shane Watson played a fine knock of 50, followed by a composed knock of 30 from Ambati Rayudu. However, the KKR bowlers continued to press well, as a wicket from almost every bowler allowed them to see it through and win the tie by 10 runs. Meanwhile, some records were scripted in the due process.
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Tripathi proves his worth as an opener: KKR had been relying on Sunil Narine as their opener, alongside Shubman Gill, in their past four matches, as the former failed to fire. Nonetheless, Tripathi was given a chance, along with Gill, last night, as he rose to the occasion, playing a spherical knock of 81. His performance surely allowed KKR to post a winning total, as he was adjudged the Man of the Match.
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Watson's rise in form good news for CSK: Watson failed to fire in CSK's opening four matches. However, having scored consecutive half-centuries in their past two matches, he has absolutely given the side a sigh of relief and hope in the coming matches, as CSK look to get out of their ongoing grey patch.
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KKR's bowling attack one of the best: One of the notable aspects of the match was KKR's bowling attack. Despite CSK having gone off to a good start, maintaining the required rate in the initial phase of their chase, the KKR bowlers continued to put pressure. Maintaining sheer line and length, followed by dots, it created pressure on them, as they lost their wickets in the process. Undoubtedly, they have one of the best bowling attacks this season.
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Dinesh Karthik's captaincy nails it: Besides KKR's planned bowling, it was Dinesh Karthik's brilliant captaincy which just nailed it. Despite the initial onslaught by Watson and Rayudu, Karthik stuck to his prime bowlers, as they executed their plans perfectly and it eventually paid off.
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CSK's middle-order still needs its mojo back: While CSK's top-order has been flying in the past couple of games, their middle-order continues to struggle. The likes of MS Dhoni, Sam Curran, Kedar Jadhav and Ravindra Jadeja have the potential to be match-winners. However, they are yet to click, with time running out.
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