It’s an unofficial clause in the Indian Premier league’s constitution — in order to win the title in India, a team has to go through the Chennai Super Kings in the last-four stage.
Many teams have tried their luck, while three have been successful — Rajasthan Royals in 2008 final, Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012 final and Mumbai Indians in 2013 summit clash — others not so — Kings XI Punjab tried unsuccessfully in 2008 semi-finals, Deccan Chargers also came second best in semis of 2010 against them, Royal Challengers Bangalore failed twice in 2011, then MI and Delhi Daredevils also failed in 2012 playoffs stage while MI lost to them in the qualifier last year before winning the title five days later.
This year, Mumbai were eliminated by the yellow brigade on Wednesday night which brought the seventh edition of the IPl to it’s penultimate stage where league stage table-toppers, Punjab, would be looking to beat perennial contenders Chennai at the Wankhede stadium in nation’s financial capital on Friday.
The game is a case of two dominant sides — Punjab won 11 of their 14 matches while Chennai won nine — locking horns while the betting meter favouring neither for a place in the final against Kolkata Knight Riders in Bangalore this Sunday.
On a placid Wankhede pitch, it could well be that whichever side has a better bowling line-up can have another game because batting doesn’t look like a problem.
If Punjab have Glenn Maxwell, Chennai have Dwayne Smith with 539 and 559 runs at third and second places respectively on the run getters list. Though Maxwell has scores of 6, 0, 2 and 14 in his last four games, and suddenly looks out of form, the combination of his opponents Chennai and the Mumbai pitch would be music to his ears.
Especially the way the Aussie plays against CSK’s ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, peppering the Indian spinner in the zone between mid-on and the square leg. In the two overs that Aswhin bowled in the teams’ last outing at Cuttack, Maxwell had hit Ashwin for four sixes and two fours, leaking 38 runs.
Punjab had scored 231 then and Maxwell 90, which incidentally was his second 90+ score against the same side. Earlier, in the league’s opener for both teams, CSK had put up 205 in Abu Dhabi, Smith made 66 and Brendon McCullum 67 but Maxwell (95) and David Miller (unbeaten 54) played their part to perfection with a 115-run partnership in 63 balls to help their team win the rubber.
Therefore, form or no form Maxwell will be the marked man for Chennai but Punjab have the firepower in Miller at five and Virender Sehwag and the blitzkrieg of Manan Vohra — 223 runs in six innings and a strike-rate of close to 149 — as openers. Vohra has been dominating Sehwag while scoring runs says everything.
In case Chennai are able to douse the fire, like KKR did against them in the first qualifier in Kolkata on Wednesday, there is the steady captain in George Bailey, the ever-smiling calming influence.
On the other side, in the yellow corner then is the suave batting unit. If Kings XI have Mitchell Johnson with his venom, then CSK opener Faf du Plessis can come behind the ball and and defend to make the attack blunt so that the more attacking Smith can have a go and in case he fails McCullum can do the same.
But what perhaps is Chennai’s USP is the temperament of du Plessis, IPl’s MVP Suresh Raina, (who now has the distinction of 400+ runs in every IPl season) David Hussey and the talismanic captain MS Dhoni. This combination rarely buckles down to pressure. Expect a stone face from each of them during tought times.
A case in point is the calm headedness with which they chased down 173 against Mumbai on Wednesday night. Raina made unbeaten 54, Hussey was not out on 40 and game was won without much sweat in humid Mumbai. And, Dhoni wasn’t even required. Even if there is a score of 200+ to chase, one cannot bet against them.
Therefore, it would come down to the bowlers. Will Ravindra Jadeja’s predictable yet effective trajectory (he has third-highest wickets in the season with 19) or will Parwinder Awana make use of the opportunities created by Johnson to his benefitIJ Punjab seem to be going with him after youngster Sandeep Sharma lost some confidence post some very good performances earlier on.
Will orange-cap holder Mohit Sharma add to his 22 scalps or Ashish Nehra and Ishwar Pandey make early inroads or be blown over by the Punjab juggernautIJ And, what about the inexperience of Akshar Patel, Rishi Dhawan and Karanveer Singh in a big match situation if Punjab choose to play the same side as the one against Kolkata. Will it work against a formidable Chennai battingIJ
For the two teams going into the Friday qualifier, the classic IPl case of working on the other’s loopholes applies to the fullest. While Chennai look to have the better bowling line-up, Punjab have beaten that unit twice in the season.
There may be nothing that separates the teams so a place in the final will be decided by the cliche, ‘whoever plays better on the day’.