Twitter Reactions: CSK's Ruturaj Gaikwad gives a knock-out punch to KXIP

CSK have spoiled the party for KXIP too.

View : 27K

5 Min Read

Ruturaj Gaikwad
info
Ruturaj Gaikwad. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab engaged in their last face-off of the league stage at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The three-time title holders had nothing to lose as they were already out of the tournament owing to abysmal performance throughout the season. However, coming on the back of a thrilling win against Kolkata Knight Riders, the yellow army were armed with the much-needed confidence in the final encounter against the mighty Kings.

As far as the Punjab outfit was concerned, it was their do-or-die clash in order to remain relevant in the race of the playoffs. Going ahead with changes in the playing XI, Chennai roped in Faf Du Plessis, Shardul Thakur and Imran Tahir smartly. KL Rahul decided to bring in in-form Mayank Agarwal and Jimmy Neesham hoping to end the match on a winning note.

Having won the toss, MS Dhoni decided to bowl first with an expectation to sing the winning notes once again. As the match unfolded, the opening duo- skipper KL Rahul and swashbuckler Mayank Agarwal could not make the bat talk much. After cementing a scintillating start notching up 48 runs in 32 balls, Mayank perished away getting out to Lungi Ngidi.

The last match’s star-performer Chris Gayle along with KL Rahul could not add much to the team score. The former got out lbw after amassing meagre 12 runs out of 19 deliveries. The latter could manage 29 runs laced up with one flat-six and 3 dashing fours. The middle-order collapsed yet again. Mandeep Singh and Nicholas Pooran along with Jimmy Neesham fell like a pack of cards.

However, at the time when Punjab needed the most, Deepak Hooda raised his hand. His cameo helped the team post a respectable score against the mighty Super Kings. Scoring a quick-fire cameo of 62*, the budding youngster showed his zeal on the 22 yards. The innings decorated with 3 fours and 4 massive sixes; the Kings XI Punjab raked up the total of 153 runs after the end of 20 overs.

Ruturaj Gaikwad stole the show with his impeccable performance with the bat

In reply, Chennai Super Kings put their best foot forward only to give the team a much-needed start. The openers-Faf Du Plessis and the young Ruturaj Gaikwad played their roles to perfection. Cementing a solid foundation, the duo added 82 runs for the first wicket. However, Faf got out to Chris Jordan on 48 which raised hopes for KXIP. However, Gaikwad and Ambati Rayudu made sure that there were no more hiccups in the chase.

The former slammed his third consecutive half-century and remained unbeaten till the end to make sure he took his team home. CSK crossed the winning line in the 19th over with Gaikwad scoring 62 while Rayudu remained not-out on 30. With this significant loss, Kings XI Punjab has lost its chance to reserve the playoffs berth while CSK end their season on a winning note.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

Get every cricket updates! Follow Us:

googletelegraminstagramwhatsappyoutubethreadstwitter

Download Our App

For a better experience: Download the CricTracker app from the IOS and Google Play Store