Raina ton delivers CSK another title

Oct 04, 2014

Playing in their seventh tournament final, Chennai Super Kings opted to bowl against Kolkata Knight Riders on a Bangalore surface that has produced plenty of high-scoring games in recent times•BCCI

Gautam Gambhir, who had been struggling for runs, began aggressively, as the Knight Riders openers found the boundaries with ease•BCCI

Gambhir made full use of that reprieve to thump 80 off 52 balls as Knight Riders targeted a big finish•BCCI

But despite the setback, Knight Riders managed to post 180 for 6. Pandey set the team up with 32 before Yusuf Pathan thumped a nine-ball 20 to complete a late surge•BCCI

McCullum kept things ticking along nicely at the other end, as he and Raina added 118 for the second wicket to take the game away from Knight Riders •BCCI

The eight-wicket victory gave Super Kings their second Champions League trophy, to go with their two IPL wins•BCCI

Robin Uthappa drove Mohit Sharma down the ground for four in the second over, opening the floodgates for a brisk opening stand•BCCI

The pair added 91 in 10.5 overs•BCCI

However, wickets in quick intervals pegged Knight Riders back. Brendon McCullum did well to get under a catch at long-on to dismiss Manish Pandey•BCCI

Needing more than nine an over, Super Kings were rocked early in the chase as Dwayne Smith was bowled in the first over by Pat Cummins•BCCI

McCullum fell for 39, but Raina had all but sealed the win with a 62-ball 109 which included six fours and eight sixes. The knock also took Raina to the top of the tournament's run-scoring charts•BCCI

Despite setting the tournament alight with their fielding, the Super Kings fielders had an off day in the final. Faf du Plessis appeared to have caught Gambhir at the boundary, but he had stepped on the boundary to concede six•BCCI

Pawan Negi bagged 5 for 22, including three scalps in the penultimate over•BCCI

Suresh Raina, however, was unfazed and unleashed the big hits right from the off •BCCI

MS Dhoni promoted himself up the order and not for the first time, sealed a title with a six•BCCI