IPL 2018, Final, CSK vs SRH: 5 talking points

#2 Suresh Raina's support role

Raina played a crucial knock, adding 117 runs for the second wicket with Watson

When one looks back at the 2018 IPL final some years from now, it is easy to forget Suresh Raina's role in CSK's victory tonight in the midst of the wonderful knock played by Shane Watson tonight.

Raina's knock of 32 from 24 balls, might not have been spectacular, but the circumstances in which the IPL veteran produced the innings cannot be underestimated.

Watson made a slow start which in turn led to Du Plessis' dismissal and with someone like Rashid Khan yet to come into the attack, CSK couldn't afford to lose any more wickets.

More importantly, though, they had to get the run-rate going and Raina got going right away with a couple of boundaries of Sidharth Kaul.

But, once he saw that Watson was showing signs of recovering from his slow start, Raina took a step backward and went about rotating the strike and keeping his wicket intact, while allowing the Australian to do the job of the big-hitting.

Watson was relentless in his attack, but Raina kept his composure and didn't do anything silly that would have allowed SRH a way back into the contest.

By the time Raina was dismissed for 32, their 117-run for the second wicket had all but ensured the victory for MS Dhoni's side and the CSK management as well as the fans would have appreciated Raina for his understated yet crucial knock.