Their winning streak halted, Kolkata Knight Riders would feel the Chennai heat at home tomorrow especially after the two-time defending champions put their campaign back on track with two successive wins in the IPL.
Known for their last minute scrambles, the Chennai Super Kings need to win their remaining two matches to assure themselves of a berth in the last-four and their captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has a reputation of coming up with the best in pressure cooker situations.
On the other hand, a win for the Knight Riders would hand them the pole position and a guaranteed place in the play-offs.
A win for the Knight Riders would hand them the pole position and a guaranteed place in the play-offs. AFP
Chennai’s nine-wicket thrashing of leaders Delhi Daredevils last night could not have come at a better time, as the Knight Riders were given a wake-up call by a Rohit Sharma-inspired Mumbai Indians in the afternoon match of the same day.
After their humiliating 27-run loss at home, the Knight Riders would find themselves down while the Super Kings would look to avenge their five-wicket defeat in the first leg of the tournament.
It was a ruthless performance by the Super Kings last night as they did not allow the leaders to fight back right from the beginning when Australian quick Ben Hilfenhaus castled Virender Sehwag in the opening over.
For Hilfenhaus, it was his second Man-of-the-Match performance in succession and the pacer, who was the wrecker-in-chief with 27 wickets in Australia’s 4-0 rout of India in a recent Test series, would look to cast a spell on the likes of Gautam Gambhir and Jacques Kallis.
It was not only Hilfenhuas but South African Albie Morkel was also at his best with impressive figures of 4-0-15-1 to restrict Delhi for 114 for five, a total that allowed the failing Chennai Super Kings batters to click for a win with 28 balls to spare.
PTI
