IPL 2021: Chennai Super Kings beat Kolkata Knight Riders in final to win fourth title

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Faf du Plessis hit a match-winning 86 off 59 balls

Indian Premier League Final, Dubai Chennai Super Kings, 192-3 (20 runs); Moeen 37no (20); Narine 226 Kolkata Knight Riders, 165-9 (20 runs); Gill 51 (43), Iyer 52 (32); Thakur 338, Hazlewood 229 Chennai Super Kings won, by 27 runs Scorecard, Table

After beating Kolkata Knight Riders by 27 runs, Chennai Super Kings were crowned Indian Premier League champions.

Faf du Plessis scored a fantastic 86 from 59 balls, and Moeen Ali scored an impressive 20-ball 37 to help Chennai post 192-3 in 20 overs.

Shubman Gill (51 runs off 43) and Venkatesh IIyer (50 runs off 32) both hit half-centuries just before Kolkata collapsed. They also lost eight wickets in Dubai for 34 runs.

Captain Eoin Morgan managed just four as Kolkata reached 165-9.

Chennai, captain MS Dhoni's team, has added another trophy to their trophy cabinet. They have won the IPL in 2010 and 2011.

They are behind the five-time Mumbai Indians winners and were runners-up five times.

It is a disappointing ending for KKR, the two-time winner of this competition.

KKR was second from the bottom at the United Arab Emirates tournament that resumed last month. The tournament had been suspended in May due to an increase in coronavirus infections in India.

Du Plessis is the match-winner and the race for the orange caps

Du Plessis gave a masterclass in batting, raising questions about why he was not selected for South Africa's Twenty20 World Cup team.

Du Plessis's knock featured seven fours, three sixes, and a variety of shots that included powerful blows to the ground as well as charming timing that found the gaps.

Lockie Ferguson was subject to a grueling battle with Du Plessis, a New Zealand left-arm fastbower. He finished his four overs with 0-56.

Du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad, a fellow opener, shared a side plot during the Chennai innings.

KL Rahul, the top run-scorer for this season's IPL, was at the beginning of the match with 626 runs. However, both Du Plessis (547 and Gaikwad (603 rans) were close behind to surpass the Punjab Kings captain.

Gaikwad's 31 ogf 27 runs pushed him to the top and he seemed certain to win the orange cap. But Du Plessis had other plans and needed three runs off the last ball to dislodge the team-mate.

Du Plessis, however, was caught in the depths and fell short of securing a CSK one two.

England's Moeen unleashed some big hits, including three sixes. Robin Uthappa also contributed an important 31 out of 15 balls to a dominant CSK bat display.

Iyer & Gill receive KKR to help them get off to a fine start

CSK was defeated by KKR 191 in the 2012 final. They chased 200 against Kings XI Punjab in the 2014 final.

Morgan's team was determined to fight back and they won 55-0 in the powerplay. This is five runs more than Chennai had after six innings.

Iyer is undoubtedly the best player in this season's IPL. The 26-year old played fearless cricket once more.

Iyer was drafted by Kolkata after the tournament reopened last month. He scored his fourth IPL-half-century in just 10 innings, and finished with 370 runs, an average of 41.11.

After 10 overs, the score was 88-0. A close game was expected but Shardul Thakur's fantastic over saw Iyer and Nitesh Rana dismissed. Shardul Thakur then produced a great over to win it for a golden duck.

Thakur was the standout, with 3-38 wickets and 21 IPL wickets.

Sunil Narine was out for two and Ravindra Jadeja – one of the best fielders in cricket - took his second catch as KKR began to collapse.

Gill, who ran 478 runs in this campaign, was now at his third half-century. He also won lbw against Deepak Chahar.

Morgan's disappointing IPL

Morgan was ready to take the field with his team needing to score 96 runs off 51. He wanted to be able to play the kind of innings that has been so popular in England.

Morgan's captaincy was pivotal to KKR’s comeback. However, Morgan has struggled with his bat and especially since the resumption.

He could only see the non-striker's end, as Dinesh Karathik fell for nine runs, Shakib Al Hazan for a first-ball duck, and Rahul Trapathi was out for two.

Morgan's night was ended by a spectacular catch by Chahar at the boundary.

Chahar had to throw the ball in the air when his momentum lifted him above the boundary rope. Then he jumped back onto the field of play and took the grab.

What's next for Dhoni

A tournament that began in Chennai, India on April 9th, ends in Dubai 190 days later.

CSK's celebrations for the T20 World Cup will be much shorter than usual, as many of their stars will join their international teams.

The future of Captain Dhoni is likely to be the focus.

Since 2008, the 40-year-old has led his team to every trophy win since 2008.

Dhoni is the player who has played the most IPL games (230) as well as the eighth highest run-scorer (4,746).

Some believe he might play one more match or season in front of his Chennai home fans, while others think he may finish on a high.

No matter what the outcome of the match, his legacy as one of the best IPL players and captains has been firmly cemented.

Reaction: "I never thought I would win the IPL"

MS Dhoni, CSK captain: "We had match-winners coming game after game and doing really good."

"I'd love to thank all the fans. Everywhere we've played, there's always been a good amount of CSK fans. We hope to be back in Chennai next year in full stadiums.

England and CSK all-rounder Moeen Aziz: "It is amazing, I can't really describe it. I didn't think I would win the IPL, and it was incredible to be able to do so with this team.

"MS Dhoni & Stephen Fleming have a calm, clear approach to what they want to accomplish. This is a great team to be a part of.

Faf du Plessis, CSK opener: "That was an amazing day. CSK has been a wonderful place to be.

Ruturaj Gaikwad has a unique talent. He has a bright future ahead of himself. He doesn't need me, I just had a conversation with him.

Eoin Morgan, KKR captain: "I'm extremely proud about the fight we showed throughout this tournament, especially after we didn't get the start we desired."