Dhoni to lead CSK to glory
The bookies are struggling to split them, it is bound to be a tight match, what more could you possibly want from a final. The Chennai Super Kings are facing off with the Kolkata Knight Riders to be crowned the 2021 Indian Premier League Champions. For CSK it is a chance to claim their fourth IPL crown and the Knight Riders will be looking to join the Super Kings on three golden trophies, with a win this year.
Slight favourites?
It feels like one of the tightest IPL finals in recent years, as no team was too consistent in the group phase this year, as the Mumbai Indians have been previously. This makes for exciting viewing for the neutral going in to Fridays final. CSK have the advantage of having a few days rest in between games, having not played in five days by the time the first ball in bowled in this one.
They had Ruturaj Gaikwad and Robin Uthappa to thank for their place in the final, the pair putting on 133 runs between them as they chased down a competitive 173 set by the Delhi Capitals. After losing Faf du Plessis early, the pair of batsman broke the back of the innings and made sure that they got over the line, with two balls to spare.
Tried their best to lose
It certainly felt that way in the last few overs of the KKR match against the Capitals on Wednesday. It was a walk in the park when they needed just 40 runs from 7.4 overs with all their wickets in hand, but in classic IPL fashion, we had a twist and suddenly the Knight Riders needed 6 to win from 2 balls, after losing four, yes four batsmen for ducks.
Eventually a whopping six down the ground from Rahul Tripathi sealed the deal for KKR and secured their place in the final, but my goodness they will need some more stability in that middle order if they are to get over the line and claim their third IPL crown tomorrow night.
Match Tip
Momentum is crucial in cricket, and the fact that KKR got here in such dramatic fashion, just two days ago, could count in their favour. But for me, you need to back the team who are more consistent and can turn it on in a one off match.
That is why I am backing the Chennai Super Kings to beat the Kolkata Knight Riders and win the IPL at 1.85 with Parimatch.
