IPL Rewind – 2011: Chennai Super Kings continue their reign
The 2011 edition of the Indian Premier League witnessed MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings stamping their dominance on the tournament. The Men in Yellow clinched the coveted trophy for the second successive season, shattering the hopes of Royal Challengers Bangalore.
By defeating Virat Kohli’s men in the final of the tournament, CSK became the only team to win the IPL trophy more than once. Boasting an impressive record of featuring in seven IPL finals, winning the title in 2010 and 2011 is just the proof of the side’s consistency and valour. So far, they have won three IPL titles, with their latest triumph coming in 2018.
Road to the final
Neither the top run-scorer nor the highest wicket-taker of the tournament was a Chennai player. However, it was their team effort which helped them to become the first IPL side to successfully defend their title. Mike Hussey and Ravichandran Ashwin dazzled by scoring 495 runs and scalping 25 wickets in their respective departments.
After bagging the 2010 IPL and Champions League title, Dhoni and his troops were vying to complete a hat-trick of lifting the silverware. Things certainly went in their favour as they registered nine victories in the group stage, finishing in second place behind RCB. The Bangalore franchise was touted to clinch the trophy, especially with Caribbean giant Chris Gayle being in scintillating form. However, Dhoni’s men had other plans.
CSK’s winning campaign started after they defeated Kolkata Knight Riders in their first match by a narrow margin of two runs. The fairytale continued as they registered victory in all matches held at their home ground.
Ahead of the final, the Chennai side had an arduous task of facing the table-toppers RCB in the first Qualifier. On the back of skipper Kohli’s 70-run knock, RCB managed to post 175 on the scoreboard. In response, CSK got off to a disastrous start as they lost both the openers within the second over. However, Suresh Raina’s unbeaten knock and his partnerships with Badrinath and Dhoni steered Chennai closer to the target. It all boiled down to them needing 45 from 20 deliveries and Albie Morkel hit 28 off 10 balls to guide CSK to the final.
The final hurdle
After the setback, RCB paved their way into the final as they defeated the Mumbai Indians in the second Qualifier. CSK elected to bat first this time and Murali Vijay rose to the occasion by hitting 95, stitching a record first-wicket partnership of 159 runs with fellow opener Michael Hussey.
CSK put up a dominant 202-run total and plunged misery on RCB by scalping removing Gayle for a duck in the run-chase. The Chennai bowling force kept scalping wickets at regular intervals as they scripted history in front of their home fans. It was a season to remember for Dhoni and his troops. Not only did they defend the title, but also boasted a win percentage of 64.11 during the course of the tournament. They even bagged the Fair Play Award as the icing on the cake.
