The IPL2021, which got truncated by the scary second wave of Corona in April this year, is all set to conclude in Dubai on October 15. The event was initially planned to be conducted entirely in India but the country became a no-go-zone after the onslaught of the virus in the Q1 of this year. That is when the UAE came into the picture as the country by and large kept the virus under control for the better part of this year.
However, the change of location proved to be a blessing in disguise for many Indian and international players, who would be taking part in the T-20 World Cup to be jointly held in the UAE and Oman immediately after the end of the IPL. Resultantly, the players got some valuable match practice and exposure on the UAE grounds before the T-20 carnival, which would not have been possible had the virus not played party pooper in India.
Dhoni VS Morgan
Now coming to the IPL final, Dhoni’s experienced CSK will be locking horns with Morgan’s relatively young and inexperienced KKR. Chennai have displayed the same intensity and passion that made them a force to reckon with in the past this season as well but endured a few minor blows towards the end of league games. Kolkata, on the other hand, have been laggards to begin with in India but turned it around perfectly in the UAE leg, where they won 7 out of their 9 matches.
However, there is no denying the fact that CSK has been the most consistent team in the IPL as they have won the title thrice, made it to the playoffs in all the seasons except for the one in 2020 and entered the final 8 times. As for KKR, they have won the title twice, made it to the playoffs 6 times but unlike Chennai consistency has played hide and seek with them in the IPL seasons so far.
Narine, Russel Are KKR’s Trump Cards
These stats would suggest CSK having a clear edge over KKR, but it would be imprudent to hedge the bet on the former. The last time they both met in an IPL final was in 2012, when Kolkata had the better of Chennai. And in 2014, when Kolkata won the IPL title for the second time, the first leg was held in the UAE. So, for Kolkata, the emirates have been a happy hunting ground.
The other factor that makes KKR a dangerous side is the presence of two Caribbean destroyers such as Sunil Narine and Andre Russel, who can completely turn the fortunes of the match on their respective days. There is still a question mark over Russel’s availability for the final but Narine in the Eliminator 2 annihilated the Delhi team totally to prove his lethality in this format. So, Chennai will not exactly have a walk in the Dubai park against Kolkata.
T-20 Is An Unpredictably Scary Format
When it comes to Chennai, the biggest advantage for them lays in their captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s astute leadership skills. The “Thalai”, as he is referred to by the Chennai supporters, has unarguably the best T-20 brain in the world cricket today. He can gauge the match situation quickly and make the necessary on-field changes to put pressure on the opposition. His vision has been ably complemented by Ravindra Jadeja’s multi-tasking abilities, Ruturaj Gaekward’s batting consistency and Dwayne Bravo’s all-round skills. In the head-to-head encounters in the IPL thus far, out of the 25 matches between the two, Chennai have won 16 and KKR 8 times. This again points to Chennai’s clear dominance over Kolkata in the IPL. However, any speculation or surmise is fraught with immense risk in the slam-bang version of the game, where fortune swings from one end to another throughout the match.
