A game can be seen rightly as a game alone when there is no pressure attached to it. Chennai Super Kings, after a forgettable first half of the season, are trying to put some good show towards the end. Kolkata Knight Riders, on the other hand, are seeking a berth in the playoffs. A contest between these two teams is always going to be interesting. Shane Watson, Lungi Ngidi, and Karn Sharma were back to the CSK side. The Chennai Super Kings won the toss and decided to bowl first. 

It was a slow start for the Kolkata Knight Riders with a half-century partnership between the opening pair. Nitish Rana played a fantastic innings of 87 runs with 10 fours and 4 sixes. He anchored the entire KKR innings and was the lone fighter since there was no big contribution from other players, with Dinesh Karthik playing a supporting role towards the end scoring 21 runs from 10 balls. Kolkata Knight Riders posted a competitive total of 172 runs for the loss of five wickets in their 20 overs. It was 173 runs for the Super Kings to chase.

Watson and Ruturaj Gaikwad opened the innings for the CSK. After Watson dismissed for 14, Gaikwad and Rayudu had put up a very good partnership that took CSK close to the victory. When Rayudu and Dhoni were dismissed in quick succession, the required rate had suddenly gone up. Ruturaj played a very responsible innings scoring 72 runs and showing his 'spark' once again. This youngster is continuously showing his management that not picking him up early in the series was a costly decision. After he got out, things looked more difficult for the CSK.

When Sam Curran was struggling to score naturally, it was the experienced Ravindra Jadeja who stole the show by taking his team to victory with a monstrous innings of an unbeaten 31 runs from just 11 balls that included 3 sixes. He proved that he is still a match-winner and has a lot of cricket left in him. It was a dramatic finish for the CSK as they crossed the victory line in the last ball. Though they cannot qualify further in the series, it is an extreme joy for the CSK fans to see their team clinching a victory.

Through the dramatic and tenacious chase, the CSK had spoiled the hope of KKR in having a lenient passage towards the playoffs. With the classy victory, Dhoni's army had pushed Morgan's fleet into a danger zone as KKR's hope to enter the playoffs has now been hanging in balance. KKR is left with one match, against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday, and it must win with a high margin of the net run rate and the climax would be unveiled when all the teams finish their spell. 

As the chase has become one of the successful momentums of the Chennai Super Kings, social media went abuzz with several fans raising a question on why Ruturaj Gaikwad was kept out of the squad in the first half of the season to had a breakthrough. Though marking a splendid victory, it would no way help the team in advancing towards the playoffs as the team had already lost the chance and out of the season. 

Speaking at the post-presentation ceremony, CSK's MS Dhoni said, "The changes are a conscious effort. We want to give games to people who haven't played and we need them to grab those opportunities. Ruturaj, we had seen him in all nets, but he got tested for COVID positive and took twenty days. Unfortunate but he'll remember this season. Ruturaj is one of the most talented players going around. What makes it difficult is he's not somebody who speaks a lot. So sometimes, it becomes difficult for the management to gauge a player". 

Dhoni had also complimented Ravindra Jadeja for his quickfire that had driven the team towards victory. The CSK Skipper said, "This season Jadeja has been fantastic. He's been the only batsman in our team who has taken the job of scoring in the last few overs. Not just using his power but through point, if the field is up. I feel throughout the season we needed someone by his side". For CSK fans, though the victory is too late, they can settle up with the hope that the team would have a decent end.