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No prizes for guessing, KL Rahul is the choice for the Man of the Match award.
Aiden Markram is up for a quick chat. He says that it has been a brilliant experience and they have a good bunch of boys. Tells that it was an unbelievable batting effort from KL Rahul and the teammates were celebrating every six from the pavilion. Says that he hopes that KL celebrates his knock tonight. Goes on to say that he looks to learn from the best in the business and he certainly got to learn a lot by watching how Faf du Plessis and KL Rahul played.
MS Dhoni, the captain of Chennai, starts by saying that they have to cope up at the mental level. He adds that they played good cricket to reach this position in the tournament. Admits that they have lost a few games but this is a part and parcel of the tournament like this but accepts that they need to fine-tune their preparation a bit. Talking about motivation, MS replies that it is not the factor and guys are highly motivated. He cheekily adds that it would have looked worse if they have batted first after winning the toss. Feels that the pitch changed a bit in the second innings but terms it a good one, although challenging.
Presentation time...
On a surface where KL Rahul put on a batting show, Chennai struggled big time as a unit. Their innings struggled for momentum and it was due to Faf du Plessis' lone fight, they managed to put a respectable total on the board. Picking early wickets could have made the chase interesting but the bowling unit leaked too many boundaries and as a result, there was no pressure on Punjab.
It was a tricky target on this pitch and Punjab adopted the aggressive approach in the Powerplay. Once again, their opening pair of KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal did a fabulous job and for a change, the former was the aggressor. After the departure of Mayank, Punjab lost Sarfaraz Khan quickly but the presence of Rahul in the middle meant that there was no pressure. With Shahrukh Khan and Aiden Markram, KL formed two crucial stands and eventually put the chase to bed in 13 overs. Amidst all the carnage, Shardul Thakur picked up three wickets and impressed the most. The rest of the Chennai bowling was not up to the mark right from the beginning.
Punjab have decimated the target in front of them with 7 overs to spare and handed Chennai their third defeat in a row. The chase was all about KL Rahul's extraordinary knock as he finished unbeaten on 98 and kept Punjab's slim chance to qualify for the playoffs still alive.
12.6 overs (6 Runs) SIX! BANG! KL Rahul finishes things off in style with a maximum! Thakur bangs it into the deck, outside off. Rahul stays back and pulls it high in the air and over the deep mid-wicket fielder for a massive biggie! PUNJAB WIN THE MATCH BY 6 WICKETS!
12.5 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! Sloppy from the birthday boy, Dwayne Bravo at long on! Back of a length, around off. KL Rahul smacks it wide of long on. Dwayne Bravo runs there but fails to grab it and he concedes a boundary.
12.4 overs (1 Run) Back of a length, outside off. Moises Henriques hangs back and guides it to third man for a single.
12.3 overs (2 Runs) Good-length ball, outside off. Moises Henriques heaves it wide of deep mid-wicket and takes a couple of runs.
12.2 overs (0 Run) Length ball, outside off. Moises Henriques moves across and looks to scoop but he fails to connect it and the ball lands in front of the bowler off his pads.
12.1 overs (0 Run) OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Shardul Thakur gets his man! He serves it on a length, just outside off. Aiden Markram looks to loft it over covers but it takes the outside edge and the ball goes straight to MS Dhoni, behind the sticks, who takes a simple catch. Moises Henriques is in next.
Shardul Thakur comes back into the attack.
11.6 overs (1 Run) Bravo again bowls it slow, on a length around leg, Aiden steps back and clips it to deep mid-wicket. Another run taken, 20 from the over, 9 needed more.
11.5 overs (1 Run) Too full and on middle, Rahul clips it to deep mid-wicket for a single.
11.5 overs (1 Run) Wide! Short and wide outside off, Rahul leaves it. 11 to win, KL is 13 away from his century.
11.4 overs (2 Runs) Slower length ball around middle, Rahul gently works it in the mid-wicket region for a couple.
11.3 overs (6 Runs) SIX! Take that! Fuller in length, around off and angling away from the batsman, Rahul finds it in his slot and lifts it over the bowler's head. Terrific swing of his bat and the ball is deposited over long on.
11.3 overs (1 Run) Wide! Full toss again, slower one, but it's down the leg side, Rahul leaves.
11.2 overs (6 Runs) SIX! KL Rahul continues to impress! A full toss, around leg, KL Rahul brings his wrists into play, picks it off his pads and dumps it over backward square leg for a biggie. Effortless.
11.1 overs (2 Runs) Bravo bowls it slow and short around leg, Rahul pulls it to the left of deep square leg for a couple of runs.
10.6 overs (1 Run) Back of a length, around off. KL Rahul stays back and flat-bats it to long on for a single. 29 runs needed off 54 balls!
10.6 overs (1 Run) Wide! Too wide, outside off. KL Rahul looks to reach out for it but he misses. Wide called by the umpire.
10.5 overs (1 Run) Another slower ball, on a length, around middle. Aiden Markram gets deceived by the change of pace and he checks his drive to mid on for a run.
10.4 overs (2 Runs) In the air...safe! Slower ball, shorter in length, outside off. Aiden Markram stays back and lofts it over cover-point. Two taken!
10.3 overs (1 Run) Slower ball, on a length, outside off. KL Rahul drives it to sweeper cover for one.
10.2 overs (6 Runs) SIX! WOW, JUST WOW! Take that, says KL Rahul! Length ball, around off. KL stays back and lofts it over the bowler's head for a maximum. It went many a mile!
10.2 overs (1 Run) Wide! Chahar spills this one way outside off. KL Rahul lets it be. Wided!
10.1 overs (1 Run) Slower ball, banged into the deck, around off. Aiden Markram drags it to long on to collect a single.
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