IPL: CSK defeat KKR, who is the winner and sinner?
What's the story
Chennai Super Kings beat Kolkata Knight Riders by five wickets to seal a thrilling contest at the M Chidambaram Stadium. 56-run knock by Sam Billings was the turning point as CSK chased down another blockbuster encounter. Earlier, Andre Russell's blitz helped KKR get to 202 runs after they were reduced to 89/5. Here we analyze the winner and sinner of the match.
Brutal force
Russell is winner of the game
Andre Russell lit up Chennai like 'Gayle-storm' after a brutal 88-run knock off just 36 deliveries. He smashed 11 sixes and a solitary four as Dwayne Bravo took the hit giving away 50 runs in his 3-over spell. Russell took 42 of them. It was a sheer powerful innings, one that was a nightmare for the bowlers. His 76-run stand with Karthik was massive.
The guilty
Vinay Kumar is the sinner of the game
It did not go according to plan for the senior bowler. CSK needed 17 runs off the last over and Vinay bowled a no-ball that was heaved for a six. The momentum shifted from one team to the other throughout the game, but this six tilted the game in CSK's favor. The equation turned to 10 from six balls and CSK bagged the game.
Personal
Stat Attack
In today's fixture, CSK chased 17 runs off the final over, this is the most by Chennai franchise in the IPL. Interestingly, in IPL 2018, all 5 matches have been won by teams batting second.
Information
Special mention: Sam Billings
Sam's 56 run-innings was the class act in CSK's chase when especially since the run-rate had surged up high. Billings was dropped by Robin Uthappa, and he did not look back from there on. For CSK, he is the winner.