And it’s done. MS Dhoni’s CSK have won the IPL title for the 4th time, after getting ousted before the playoffs in the previous season and following it up with a below-average performance in the India leg of this one.
Hey @imjadeja how many titles is that?!
— Kate Cross (@katecross16) October 15, 2021
Congratulations @msdhoni and @ChennaiIPL for getting your hands back on that trophy!! 🏆 🤩#ComebackKings #WhistlePodu #IPLFinal #yellove pic.twitter.com/V7ExWqJplI
That, however, is how CSK has always been. The “dad’s army” has proven people wrong so many times, that in the future, writing them off before the final results come in would be a little embarrassing for the critics.
Led by MS Dhoni, who seems to have regained his “magic touch”, CSK crushed it in the Dubai leg of the tournament. They qualified for the playoffs pretty early on and though they lost some group stage games after that, the team made up for it with a sensational victory in the semifinal against Delhi Capitals.
Blow the WHISTLES as loud as you can 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳#CSK ARE THE CHAMPIONS OF #IPL2021 💥💥💥💥
— Thyview (@Thyview) October 15, 2021
As for the final, well, it was more KKR’s inadequacy than CSK’s brilliance in all fairness. Though CSK played well, 192 was not exactly an un-chase-able target. Add to that Venkatesh Iyer’s half-century after being dropped on a duck by MS Dhoni.
Will MS Dhoni’s drop of Venkatesh Iyer prove costly? pic.twitter.com/osxSokbPly
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) October 15, 2021
Luck did its part, but batsmen couldn’t. They fell like a house of cards after the first dismissal and from 15th over onwards, it was pretty clear that some sort of miracle would be needed for them to win.
This obviously didn’t happen, because the miracle was playing for the other team. This may be Dhoni’s last game for CSK, maybe last as a captain, we are not sure. But if either of those possibilities turns out to be true, this is as good as an end could be. Here are people’s reactions to the same.
Thank you Mahi Bhai
— Mahesh Jain (@MRYJ1418) October 15, 2021
Congrats CSK#IPLFinal
Comeback,
— Santhosh (@PokkiriSanty) October 15, 2021
That’s what we’re known for ❗️💛@msdhoni @ChennaiIPL #CSK ❤️ pic.twitter.com/YxzcW9tBLQ
CSK won in 2010.
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) October 15, 2021
CSK won in 2011.
CSK won in 2018.
Now, CSK wins in 2021.
– Led by MS Dhoni, the leader.
Congratulations to @ChennaiIPL on winning the #IPL @msdhoni 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
— Abhishek Bachchan (@juniorbachchan) October 15, 2021
Congratulations @msdhoni and @ChennaiIPL on the 4th title.🏆🏆🏆👏👏👏. #IPLFinal #cskvskkr2021
— Mask up and take your vaccine🙏🙏🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) October 15, 2021
Lots to learn from this campaign of @KKRiders, great turn around.
Now we have more #dhoni’s in our @ChennaiIPL thanks to our kingmaker @msdhoni
— venkat prabhu (@vp_offl) October 15, 2021
.@tripathirahul52 gets a pat on the back from @msdhoni 👏
— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) October 15, 2021
📸: Disney+Hotstar pic.twitter.com/jAv1Jr2wID
So another feather for @msdhoni the captain. The aura grows. Well played @ChennaiIPL the openers set it up and that’s when it had almost turned inevitable. Terrific pushback after a superb KKR start.
— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) October 15, 2021
Congratulations @ChennaiIPL 🙌🏻 @msdhoni needs to partner with one of those master class apps to teach people the winning habit 🏆 This is incredible.
— Danish Sait (@DanishSait) October 15, 2021
Head wins over heart! Well played @msdhoni and team CSK: to come back from a disastrous 2020 to winning 2021 is remarkable. IMHO, maybe a great time for Capt Cool to decide his future: he has been player of IPL and T 20 cricket 1st decade. Master of white ball cricket! #CSKvsKKR
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) October 15, 2021
Well done CSK a great win and what can you say about @msdhoni
— David Warner (@davidwarner31) October 15, 2021
CSK won the match by 27 runs, and can go back with not just the trophy but also the orange cap. Ruturaj Gaikwad, with 635 runs, became the youngest player to get the honour.
He surpassed KL Rahul and was going to be surpassed by Faf du Plessis, who missed out on it by a whisker.
One can be certain, though, that this is not playing on the minds of either right now.
Ruturaj Gaikwad: 635 runs
— Srini Mama (@SriniMaama16) October 15, 2021
Faf du Plessis: 633 runs
The two pillars of CSK in #IPL2021.
86(59). Big Day, big innings by the Top Dog! #IPLFinal pic.twitter.com/RoQEFM64gn
Ruturaj – 635 runs
— ` (@FourOverthrows) October 15, 2021
Faf Du Plessis – 633 runs
What a batting effort. Greatest opening partnership ever in IPL history. pic.twitter.com/JWSSrPsEBU
The IPL trophy is for CSK to keep, once again, and so is the pride of doing something they were not expected to do, yet again.