It is a proven winning formula. From time to time it will need a tweak here and there, but as the old saying goes – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Chennai Super Kings are Indian Premier League finalists again. Unless they have peaked one game too early, the Lions will be clear favourites to become IPL Champions for a third time on the weekend regardless of the opposition.
Maybe Mumbai will be back for more. The Indians’ capitulation in the qualifier was as unexpected as it was ugly. On a kind Kotla wicket Chennai filled their boots using just three batsmen to post a mammoth total. Mumbai beat Chennai twice during the regular season but couldn’t muster a response when it mattered.
Perhaps the Royals will be crowned. On the point of collapse in the eliminator, Brad Hodge rode to Rajasthan’s rescue, finally eclipsing the Sunrisers who enjoyed an encouraging debut season in the IPL. His first half-century of the tournament, completed with back-to-back game winning sixes, sparked wild celebration among his team-mates.
Whichever team prevails, it is Chennai’s championship to lose. CSK has the knack. Not by accident but by design – something not lost on coach Stephen Fleming. He is convinced that continuity and loyalty has been rewarded in the past and continues to pay dividends.
It helps having high quality options for all positions. Fleming’s roster oozes class, starting with his captain. M.S. Dhoni demands excellence of himself and those he leads. He is a versatile, often explosive batsman who has adapted his own game to suit the unique demands of Twenty20 cricket. Behind the stumps Dhoni is an agile wicketkeeper, always in the thick of the action and perfectly positioned to stay one move ahead of the opposition.
It is no coincidence Chennai boasts the best batsman and the best bowler in IPL6. Mike Hussey can’t stop scoring runs and is the runaway favourite for tournament MVP. The Australian opener doesn’t have the power of Chris Gayle or the all-round talent of Shane Watson but he has more runs than both of them. In a season that witnessed Gayle’s T20 world record, it is Hussey’s consistency in 2013 which sets him apart.
In the IPL’s brief history no one has scored more runs than Suresh Raina. Now approaching 3,000 runs, Raina has been more aggressive than ever this season, elevating his impressive strike rate past the 150 mark for the first time. If Hussey’s not scoring boundaries at one end, Raina generally is at the other.
As an all-rounder Dwayne Bravo is expected to contribute as both batsman and bowler. With limited opportunities he has found runs hard to come by this year but it is a different story with ball in hand. His 28 wickets lead the category and Bravo’s ability to lure batsmen into ill-timed shots was amply demonstrated in the victory over Mumbai.
Experience is the key. Chennai, preparing for its fourth straight Final, has been there and done it on a regular basis. Fleming and his team know exactly where they should be in any given game and have learned, as a group, how to perform successfully under pressure.
It doesn’t always work. The fickle nature of T20 cricket is designed to keep us guessing and biting our fingernails to the last possible moment. A year ago Kolkata squeezed home with 2 balls to spare. Expect nothing different on Sunday at Eden Gardens.
