the improbable happens - CSK qualifies as DC puts it across RCB

You plan to go [say to  a place] around 200 km away – not sure whether you have a bus at this time and whether it would be crowded, whether the journey will be comfortable – You think of a friend, a classmate who studied with you 15 years ago.  You stop for a coffee in a famous hotel and there you see your friend, of whom you thought of but have not met for these 15 long years – he tells that you he is proceeding to the place (that you are planning to) by car, alone and feels that he would be happy to have a good Company………….

‘Never leave it to somebody, what you can do by yourself’  quipped Sunil Manohar Gavaskar, on the need of your premier batsmen finishing the game.  Sometimes, you gain even when things are totally in other’s hands.

All events are connected by waves of seriality.  There is something known as ‘coincidence’,  a collection of two or more events or conditions, closely related by time, space, form, or other associations which appear unlikely to bear a relationship as either cause to effect or effects of a shared cause, within the observer's or observers' understanding of what cause can produce what effects.

It was match no. 66 on 17th May it seemed all lost for CSK – it was their last match and they duly lost to Kings XI Punjab, thrashed by Adam Gilchrist, who too perhaps played his last IPL match.  With that defeat perhaps vanished CSK’s chances of a Semi-berth. 

Yesterday, Dale Steyn breathed fire and took Deccan Chargers for a win defending lowly 132 against the more fancied Royal  Challengers, Bangalore and now CSK can have a tilt at the title !!!!   The format is slightly different.  Usually Team no. 1 would play 4; 3 would 2 and winners would proceed to Finals.  Here the top ranking teams would play first; the loser would play the winner of the other two qualifiers (teams 3 & 4); the winner of this encounter would go to the finals.  Literally, the Teams finishing 1 & 2 will have another chance, even after a defeat at this stage.  The winner of 3 & 4; will have to beat the loser of that match to qualify for Finals.

Now in the Qualifier 1 - Qualifier 1: Daredevils will play Kolkatta Knight Riders at Pune on 22.5.2012 8 pm IST;  On 23.5 will the Eliminator between CSK and Mumbai Indians at Bangalore.   The loser of Qualifier 1 and winner of Eliminator will play at Chennai on 25.5.  Then there will be the Grand finale again at Chennai on 27th May 2012 between winner of Qualifier 1 and the other team………

You cannot call it confusing as you have just seen Chennai Super Kings relying on 3 different match results – and all that went in their favour, just the way they wished – mere coincidence !! – not a benefit but a largesse from its friends !!!

Match No. 1 :  Deccan Chargers v Rajasthan Royals, Hyderabad.  RR were the favourites, they had 14 and had to win both their matches to make it to the next slot.   They played badly made 126 and lost to DC with little known Akshat Reddy making 42.   It was a good spell by Amit Mishra which helped DC cause.  One of the few bright spots of DC, Shikhar Dhawan gave a good start. 

Match 2 :  Kings XI Punjab v Delhi Daredevils, Dharamsala.  Punjab had 16 points and a win would ensure their edging past CSK.  DD was without Virender and Taylor and picked 5 quickies a rarity in any Indian centre.  Morkel and Yadav were virtually unplayable with the new ball, and by the end of the Powerplay overs, Kings XI were reduced to 20 for 4 and their campaign was seemingly over. Umesh Yadav finished his first spell with the figures of 3-1-4-3.  Kings XI finished with 141, which  was not enough to challenge DD  for whom Warner dazzled. 

Match 3 :  Even with those 2 results helping CSK’s cause, it seemed improbable that RCB would ever lose to DC with Chris Gayle exploding in all matches with ridiculous ease of 6 hitting.  Chargers made 132/7 with Duminy coming good making 74.  the target seemed too low for the most intimidating line up RCB had.   Gayle gave them a flyer of a start pounding 24 off Manpreet Gony.  Dale Steyn tormented them with figures of 4-0-8-3, Amit Mishra disposed De Villiers and then Mayank with a beauty.   Ashish Reddy frustrated the batsmen with slower balls in the final stages. They called it dual paced wicket

Those 3 unexpected results which CSK fans were wishing for, happened and on Wednesday Chennai Super Kings will play Mumbai Indians keeping alive their chances of another tilt at the windmill, which seemed totally improbably just a week ago.

Will Dhoni do it again ??

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.