Top 5 close finishes in this IPL

Mid-way through the tournament and still like Ravi Shastri might say, ‘Any team could make it to the Top-4’, even though the doors are almost closed on Kings XI Punjab. That offers evidence towards how the tournament has managed to grab eyeballs despite coming on back of a successful World Cup. The quality of the tournament could always be determined by which side of the table is loaded – the number of nerve-wracking thrillers or the number of one-sided contests.In that regard, IPL 8 has been exciting with more than half a dozen close finishes including a Super-Over finish. Interestingly, Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders have played the closest most exciting games with Delhi Daredevils and Sunrisers Hyderabad getting a mixed bag, losing couple of really close games.

#5 Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai

CSK – 134/6 in 20 overs

KKR – 132/9 in 20 overs

It is the best low-scoring thriller of the tournament. Batting first on a good track, CSK got off to a bright start moving to 42 in the fifth over, with both Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum getting off to starts. However, Piyush Chawla got McCullum LBW and things turned from then on. CSK went for an all-out attack without ever slowing down to consolidate and the result was a quick collapse because of which they were reduced to 88 for five after 13 overs. Ravindra Jadeja and Faf du Plessis ensured some rear-guard action adding 36 runs before Ravichandran Ashwin cracked two very critical fours in the last over.

Chasing a small target, Gautam Gambhir got out for a golden duck but a fifty run partnership between Robin Uthappa (39 off 17 balls) and Manish Pandey steadied the ship. But KKR drifted slowly from confidence to conservative to stifled, within a span of 12 overs as they descended to 91 for five in the 16th over. Ryan ten Doeschate (38 not out off 28 balls) struggled early on and by the time he found his mojo, it was too late. KKR heartbreakingly fell short by two runs but boy, did they have their revenge soon!

#4 Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders, Bangalore

KKR – 111/4 in 10 overs

RCB – 115/3 in 9.4 overs

It was a cricket game on steroids. Rain had reduced it to a 10-over per side affair and gee, that really spiked up the adrenaline. There were 17 fours and 14 sixes in that game, more than one boundary every four balls. The best though was reserved for the last. Batting first KKR got off to a slow start, Uthappa failing to get off the blocks.

However, KKR got the impetus with a good tactical decision to send Andre Russell up the order. He blitzed 45 off 17 balls and could have scored more had he not run for a brain-fade bye to the wicket-keeper when there was more than an over left. They managed 111 in 10 overs.

RCB started brilliantly, Gayle smashing three sixes, two of them off Brad Hogg’s bowling. But Hogg had the last laugh, getting Gayle and Piyush Chawla accounted for AB de Villiers. Virat Kohli holed out in the deep and RCB seemed all at sea, needing 31 off 16 balls with their best three back in the hut. However, the talented Mandeep Singh upset all plans smoking 45 off 18 balls with four fours and three sixes including some off Russell himself, who was bowling at the death. RCB reached 115 in 9.4 overs, thanks to Mandeep who played an unbeaten gem.

#3 Delhi Daredevils v Rajasthan Royals, Delhi

DD – 184/3 in 20 overs

RR – 186/7 in 20 overs

The Daredevils were in the middle of a very long losing streak at their home ground and the Rajasthan Royals were only going to make it worse. Daredevils did well to post 184 in their 20 overs, thanks to all five of their batsmen contributing with the runs, the skipper JP Duminy top-scoring. What was worse for the Daredevils was the fact that Rajasthan Royals always looked like losing it. But there is a reason why they won five out of their first five this season, four of them without Shane Watson. The Royals were reduced to 78 for four in the 11th over, requiring 106 off just 56 balls.

Rahane added 52 for the fifth with Deepak Hooda, the surprising star Rajasthan had in their dug out. Imran Tahir had a four wicket haul putting the brakes regularly on the RR batting lineup. But it went in vain as Hooda smashed 54 off just 25 balls with three fours and four sixes.

With 36 required off the last 18, Hooda and James Faulkner managed 17 off Nathan Coulter-Nile. The match swung again with Tahir bowling an excellent 19th over giving away seven runs and picking two wickets. Nevertheless, two bowlers, Chris Morris and Tim Southee saw the Royals through, scoring nine runs off the last three balls. It was the second close game Daredevils had lost in a short span, before turning it all around.

#2 Kolkata Knight Riders v Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata

CSK – 165/9 in 20 overs

KKR – 169/3 in 19.5 overs

It was the revenge game for Kolkata Knight Riders who had lost the first round to arch-rivals, CSK in a low-scoring, heart-breaking thriller. KKR had to deal with the McCullum onslaught early on. Baz blazed away to 32 off just 12 balls with three fours and three sixes in spite of Smith getting out off the very first ball of the game.

However, CSK sacrificed too many wickets to retain the momentum and found themselves at 72 for five in the seventh over. Dwayne Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja played another rescuing act to ensure CSK played out all their 20 overs. Pavan Negi did well scoring 27 off just 13 to give CSK an excellent score.

But, it was going to be Robin Uthappa’s day. Gambhir, Manish Pandey and Suryakumar Yadav, all failed for KKR to be reduced to 57 for three in the tenth over, requiring, 109 off 65 balls. Andre Russell, one of the stars of this IPL turned it around. His 55 off 32 balls with a strike-rate of 171 proved to be decisive with four fours and four sixes taking the Man of the Match award as he also took two wickets. Uthappa scored an unbeaten 80 off just 58 anchoring the chase wonderfully. KKR reached the target with just one ball to spare.

#1 Rajasthan Royals v Kings XI Punjab, Ahmedabad

RR – 191/6 in 20 overs.

KXIP – 191/6 in 20 overs.

Match decided by Super-over

It is the match of the tournament so far, swinging wildly both ways and the only one to end it was with a Super Over. Rajasthan Royals batted first and posted an impressive 191 in their 20 overs, Ajinkya Rahane lasting 18 overs for his 54 ball 74. Cameos from Watson, Hooda and Binny, ensured KXIP were chasing at 8.5 from the start. George Bailey wasn’t playing and Shaun Marsh was in for him, the good old Punjab player and he really did show how he belonged to Kings XI Punjab.

After Virender Sehwag was run-out early, Marsh anchored the chase with a 40 ball 65. KXIP slipped to 59 for three in the ninth over but Bailey and Marsh added 58 in just 35 balls. David Miller scored a 30 ball 54 to take KXIP close, needing 25 off 13 when he departed. Axar Patel smashed a last ball four to tie the scores, the ball falling short by just a meter from being a six that could have clinched the game for them.

In the one-over eliminator, KXIP had Miller and Marsh going in, Miller LBW first ball. But Marsh did it again for them, smashing three fours off Chris Morris. KXIP set Rajasthan a target of 16. In almost a mirror reflection of the first three balls of the earlier over, Watson was out first ball and Smith smashed a four the next ball off a no ball. But James Faulkner lost his concentration, wandered and found himself run-out at the striker’s end. Kings XI won the Super Over to put their campaign back on track.