THE LAST HURRAH?

A Fourth IPL Title Could Be The Perfect Swansong For CSK Skipper MS Dhoni, But KKR Could Prove Party-Poopers

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Nine years have passed, still it feels like yesterday. Shahrukh Khan, standing on the Chepauk balcony in Chennai with his daughter trying to stop the superstar from jumping down to celebrate Kolkata Knight Riders’ first IPL title win is still one of the most enduring frames of the madness that we relate with this event.

As KKR celebrated that night, the Chennai Super Kings management tried to come to terms with one of the most painful losses in their history. Such was the impact that when CSK had their revenge in the league phase of 2013 over KKR in a tight match, coach Stephen Fleming said he would have preferred to win the 2012 final.

That loss had stopped CSK’s twoyear title-winning run and it has taken MS Dhoni’s team a good nine years to get another shot at true revenge.

With two new teams and a big auction coming up, a lot of things will change next year. And CSK, playing a record ninth final despite being banned for two years, would love to end this cycle with their fourth title.

KKR, on the other hand, have always been an erratic side and you never know what to expect from them. But, then, it is this unpredictability that has brought them to the final for the first time in seven years after being no-hopers in the India leg.

I truly believe that Morgan is captaining really well, he’s marshalling the troops, he’s tactically very clever. I think that’s contributed to our success.”

— David Hussey

It’s a nice insight into our team culture — the young guys coming in feel free to express themselves. The backroom staff have created an environment for them to do this.”