Highlights, CSK vs KKR IPL 2021 Final, Super Kings vs Knight Riders Full Cricket Score: CSK win fourth title

‘Great turnaround’, Cricket Twitter celebrates CSK’s fourth IPL title after 27-run win over KKR

A super all-round display on Friday helped Chennai Super Kings (CSK) hand Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) a 27-run defeat in the final of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) in Dubai on Friday.

Click  **here**  to see how Twitter reacted to CSK’s fourth title win!

Faf du Plessis powers Chennai Super Kings to fourth title with victory over KKR

Chennai Super Kings on Friday clinched their fourth Indian Premier League title after beating Kolkata Knight Riders by 27 runs in the summit clash on Friday.

The in-form Faf du Plessis hit a magnificent 86 off 59 balls, laced with seven fours and three sixes, to help CSK post 192 for 3 after they were invited to bat.

Chasing an imposing target of 193, KKR could manage 165 for 9 in their 20 overs with Shubman Gill and Venkatesh Iyer hitting 51 and 50 respectively.

From 91 for no loss in the 11th over, KKR slumped to 125 for 8 in the 17th over in a dramatic batting collapse to lose the final.

Click  here  to read the report of tonight’s match!

MS Dhoni: Before I start talking about CSK, I feel like it’s important to talk about KKR. The position they were in during the first half of the IPL, it’s very difficult to come back from that and be where they are now. If any team deserved to win tonight, I feel it was them. Credit to their support staff and players.

We shuffled a few players this season, used them in different ways. We had match-winners coming in game after game. There were some big players, but everyone chipped in. 

Every final is special, but if you look at the stats, you could say that we have lost finals more consistently than anyone else! There have been a few finals we’ve lost due to someone’s brilliant performance, or in a span of just 15 minutes where something went wrong. So it’s important to put in performances where you don’t let the opposition creep into the game, which is something we made a conscious attempt to do. I hope in the coming seasons CSK will be known for that. 

Frankly, I’ve had no special conversations with any of the players before the final. It’s a relaxed environment. I think talking about strategies and all too much leads to unnecessary pressure.

I want to thank the fans. Wherever we’ve played, even in South Africa, we’ve always had good numbers of CSK fans. That is what you want. Thanks to all of them, it feels like we’re playing in Chennai. Hopefully we’ll be back in Chennai soon.

Me being at CSK depends on BCCI. With two new teams coming we have to decide what is good for CSK. It’s not about me being there in top three or four. It’s about building a strong core to ensure the franchise doesn’t suffer. We have to have a hard look to see who can contribute for the next 10 years."

Eoin Morgan: I’m extremely proud of the fight we’ve shown throughout the tournament. Obviously we didn’t start as well as I would have liked, but the way we fought epitomized the values of Kolkata. The support we’ve had from our owners has been outstanding, and we have to thank our fans for their support. They’ve been behind us since the beginning. Today it was unfortunately one game too many.

Iyer and Gill have been outstanding in the second phase. Gill is a classy cricketer. Iyer is new to this level, but he’s got a good head on his shoulder.

Faf du Plessis: Today was a great day. I’m really grateful for it all. It’s also my 100th game in the IPL, so it was special from the start. I’m very proud of what we have achieved this season.

I’ve loved my time here. I’ve done almost ten years. There were two seasons where we took a little bit of a break haha. It’s a great place to play cricket, and trophy number 4 in the cabinet is special. 

Ruturaj is special. Indian cricket in general is blessed with a lot of good young batters, but he’s really got his head on his shoulders. That’s important, to have players who are humble, who cant to keep grinding and keep getting better. He’s got a bright future ahead of him. I can help him with one or two things in the middle, but I don’t think he needs me.

Dwayne Bravo: The first thing I’m going to do is message Kieron Pollard on the phone and tell him I’m on 16 T20 titles, so he has some catching up to do.

Continuity and belief in the management, staff and players is the key. Everyone believes in the core of the team. After last season, we were very disappointed, and I think we owed it to us, and to the franchise and the fans to come back with a better performance this year. In Four years, we’ve been in three finals and won two titles, can’t ask for much better.

I do get nervous. Obviously we know we’ve prepared well, so we have confidence in the team. The way how Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad played for us, that was incredible. To have two guys score over 500 runs, that’s special. 

Ravindra Jadeja: I feel amazing, we’ve been working so hard for this title. Finally, we reached the final and won it.

That catch went so high, and Moeen Ali and I were just looking at each other, so I thought I have to go for the catch. It was a crucial wicket, and from there onwards, the momentum changed.

Moeen Ali: I don’t think I can describe how I’m feeling. To do it with CSK is great. He’s got no weakness (on Ruturaj Gaikwad who’s next to him). He’s so calm, he has every shot. Hopefully in he will play for India. Stephen Fleming and MS Dhoni are so calm and clear in what they want to do. No changes. I could’ve been dropped a couple of games ago, but there’s belief in this team. It’s such a grounded and humble team.

Ruturaj Gaikwad: I’m on top of the moon, to win the IPL and have the Orange Cap as well. It’s great, especially after the last season. Honestly, it feels great to win the title. Last year we didn’t reach the playoffs, but everyone believed and we made it. I’ve never thought of changing my orthodox shots. When you’re performing well, why would you?

That winning feeling!

Chennai Super Kings win IPL 2021!

After 20 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 165/9 ( Lockie Ferguson 18 , Varun Chakravarthy 0)

Bravo to bowl, starts with a dot. Oh, nice yorker, just the single. A KKR win is now no longer possible, should Bravo not give away any extras. Another single. Dot and then Mavi is out, he’s hit to Deepak Chahar at the deep midwicket. Single off the last, CSK win the IPL 2021 final by 27 runs, and MS Dhoni will once again lift the trophy! CHENNAI SUPERS KINGS HAVE THEIR FOURTH IPL TITLE! What a comeback this has been for Chennai, who finished in seventh place after the league stage in 2020, and were written off by many ahead of this season’s campaign.

After 19 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 162/8 ( Lockie Ferguson 16 , Shivam Mavi 19)

Deepak Chahar’s final over now. Can he add to his three-wicket haul? Dot, wide and single to begin. 46 runs needed off 10 balls. 7 sixes and a four to follow? Dot, and then a free-hit and a four conceded! Full toss that’s well over the waist line, which Lockie Ferguson somehow redirects to the boundary line. Needless free-hit this, but CSK won’t be too worried. Wide, he’ll rebowl it. This is not a great over from Thakur, but it’s not a big deal. Another wide. MS Dhoni’s a bit irritated now. Thakur finally bowls a legitimate delivery, and it’s an excellent bit of fielding from Ruturaj Gaikwad at wide long-off, who dives to prevent a four. Ferguson and Mavi run two. OH, HUGE SIX! Powered this over deep midwicket! Dot to end the over, that was unnecessarily loose from Thakur, maybe he already had one eye on the celebrations tonight.

After 18 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 145/8 ( Lockie Ferguson4 , Shivam Mavi 18)

Nothing short of a miracle can save KKR at this point. Bravo on to bowl his third over, he’s been miserly tonight, just eight runs given away in his first two overs. Single and dot to start off. Oh, Shivam Mavi’s hit a boundary! It’s sliced over short third man! He has a six now! This one’s hit over square third man! Late fireworks from Mavi! Bit of a delay here, as the balls need be changed after being touched by a member of the crowd. Oh wow, another six from Mavi, he’s casually whipped this one over backward square leg. Valiant effort this from Mavi. Single to end the over, Bravo goes for 18 in his third over.

After 17 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 127/8 ( Lockie Ferguson 3 , Shivam Mavi 1)

Josh Hazlewood’s last over, he’ll be smelling wickets here. Two dots to start and then Morgan is out! Chahar does so well at fine leg to hold on to the ball near the boundary line, then toss it up into the air as he goes over the rope, before skipping back in and holding on to it again. Shivam Mavi on. Two singles follow, and then a dot. Hazlewood’s night ends with numbers of 4-0-29-2.

After 16 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 125/7 ( Eoin Morgan (C) 4 , Lockie Ferguson 2)

Shardul Thakur’s third over. Starts with a single, and then a dot. Rahul Tripathi doesn’t look like he can run singles at the moment, after that injury he picked up while fielding. Doesn’t make much of a difference for KKR, I suppose. They need him to hit boundaries. He manages to just about run a double, and then he’s sent back to the dugout as Thakur picks up his third wicket of the evening! It was a fairly simple catch for Moeen Ali at long-on. Lockie Ferguson comes on. Dot ball, and then Ferguson hits it over the infield and runs two.

After 15 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 120/6 ( Eoin Morgan (C) 3 , )

Ravindra Jadeja’s final over. He’s already contributed to two wickets with two catches, can he get one to his name now? Two dots to start, the required run rate is above 13. Karthik pulls to deep midwicket, runs a single. Morgan runs another single. This isn’t doing much, they need boundaries. Karthik tries to provide one, but he’s not got enough purchase on that pull, and it ends up flying tamely into the hands of Ambati Rayudu at deep backward square leg. Wide from Jadeja, Dhoni thought that might have had a nick, but nope. OH NEVER MIND, JADEJA TAKES THE WICKET OF SHAKIB AL HASAN! Shakib tried a swipe, but misses, and he’s struck on the pad. Kolkata are crumbling! Strategic timeout signalled.

After 14 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 117/4 ( Eoin Morgan (C) 2 , Dinesh Karthik (W) 8)

Deepak Chahar is back for his final over, can he make an impact? YES HE CAN! Dot to start and then Shubman Gill is sent packing! Gill tries to scoop it over the keeper, but Chahar sends a ball crashing onto his pads, and he’s LBW! As clear as it gets that, bye bye Gill. Dinesh Karthik on, and he hammers a six off his first ball! That was pulled over long leg in imperious fashion. Three singles to end the over, Chahar’s figures read 4-0-32-1.

After 13 overs,Kolkata Knight Riders 108/3 ( Shubman Gill 51 , Eoin Morgan (C) 1)

Jadeja’s third over, and he begins with a dot. The RRR is exactly 12 right now. Gill works it to long-on and runs two. Thick under edge for Gill, and it takes the ball past Dhoni. Not enough on it to reach the boundary, but Gill runs two. Ooh, that looked like a wide, but Dhoni was convinced there was a nick on it, and he appeals for caught behind. Umpire’s having none of it. Gill then hammers a loose delivery to deep extra cover, one bounce and over the ropes for four. It brings up his half-century as well, off 40 balls. Single to end the over.