IPL 2019: Key talking points from the crucial weekend (20-21st April)

The picture for the playoff spots became a lot clearer in an exciting weekend in the IPL. There were some big results with Rajasthan Royals upsetting Mumbai Indians and the Delhi Capitals holding their nerves against Kings XI Punjab in the Saturday games.

Sunday was also an exciting day with the Kolkata Knight Riders continuing their horrendous losing streak after succumbing to a one-sided defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore sealing a close 1-run win against Chennai Super Kings in one of the best games of the season.

Here we look at a few talking points from an exciting weekend of IPL clashes –

Steve Smith finally finds his touch

It was a big day for Steve Smith. Back taking charge on the field, after his tenure as the Australian captain ended in ignominy, Steve Smith inspired the Rajasthan Royals to a famous win over the Mumbai Indians.

The cricket world was rocked with the news before the match that RR had decided to sack Ajinkya Rahane as the skipper and were replacing him with Steve Smith, who was set to lead the franchise before his year ban. Chasing a target of 162 on a sluggish Jaipur pitch, Smith showed all his experience, scoring a calm and composed knock of 59* in 48 deliveries, while constantly guiding the players around him, especially the young and exuberant Riyan Parag.

Rajasthan still have a mammoth task in their hands to qualify for the playoffs, but early signs are that they will be a much better unit under the leadership of the former Australian captain.

Skipper Shreyas holds his nerve

Delhi Capitals almost made a mess of things in their run chase of 164 against Kings XI Punjab at the Feroz Shah Kotla. Cruising to their target, Delhi lost a couple of quick wickets in succession and the match went to the final over.

Shreyas Iyer though was still at the crease and ensured that he took his side home with a knock of 58* in 49 deliveries. Iyer has been often accused of getting starts but not converting them into a big score.

But he ensured that such an occurrence did not repeat itself as he took upon himself the responsibility of taking his side over the line, in what was a crucial victory for their ambitions of qualifying for the playoffs.

No solution in sight for Kolkata Knight Riders

For a team which started so brilliantly and established themselves as one of the favourites for the playoffs, the disjointed performances by Kolkata Knight Riders over the past couple of weeks have been staggering to watch. Not a single department of their game is functioning well and the dreadful run has all but ruled them out from cementing a place in the top 4. Kolkata now have accumulated only 8 points in the 10 matches and will now need to win all their remaining games to have a shot at competing in the playoffs.

But with 5 defeats on the trot,  it seems as though KKR have run out of options to field a winning combination. They dropped Robin Uthappa and Kuldeep Yadav from the XI but still could not conjure up a win against SRH. After a blistering start, their batting fell apart and they could only post a score of 159 on the board, a target which was all too easy for the opposition. They then lacked any penetration in their bowling attack that led to a huge nine-wicket loss. Dropping Bairstow early in the innings also proved costly as he went on to score an unbeaten 80, which took the game away from a hapless KKR outfit.

MS Dhoni’s brilliance fails to get CSK over the line

MS Dhoni again showcased why he is regarded as one of the greatest finishers in the history of the game, scoring a career-best 84* off just 48 deliveries, which almost led CSK to an unbelievable victory.

The former Indian skipper was at his calculative best, taking the game till the final over, where he then unleashed his full fury, leaving Royal Challengers Bangalore shell-shocked. Dhoni, unfortunately, could not connect the final delivery of the match, resulting in a run-out which led to a one-run victory for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

But it again served as a reminder to everyone who has questioned his abilities that there isn’t a calmer person in a run chase, as he almost swatted away 26 runs which were required in the final over for Chennai to seal the win. The Indian team management will certainly be pleased as Dhoni seems to be peaking right before the start of the World Cup.