The Chennai Super Kings appear to be back on track to qualify for the semi-finals of the 2014 Champions League T20 tournament, after their stunning batting performance against the Dolphins on Monday.
The reality is, that their 3-wicket defeat in Hyderabad against the Kolkata Knight Riders, in their first Group A contest, has left them perpetually on the brink of elimination.
They next face the Lahore Lions from Pakistan at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Thursday, knowing that should they slip up, their hopes of making the last four, will have all but disappeared.
It is generally accepted that three wins are required to ensure progress beyond the group stage, leaving the Super Kings effectively playing knockout cricket throughout the rest of their participation in the competition.
Lahore Lions are in a similar position to Thursday’s opponents. Having also lost their first fixture to the Knight Riders, by 4-wickets, the Lions also have no scope to lose another fixture.
Thursday’s clash in Bangalore, will not only be a passionate India verses Pakistan contest, but also take on the significance of a cup final, with the losers able to pack their bags and prepare for the journey home.
On Monday, Chennai equalled the tournament record set by Otago Volts in 2013, by posting 242 in their 20 overs against the Dolphins from South Africa. The highlight of the 54-run victory being a stunning 43-ball 90 from Suresh Raina. However, the early part of the Dolphins run chase illustrated that if their is a weakness in the Chennai set up, it is in the bowling department.
The Dolphins started by posting 50 in 15 balls, and by the end of the Powerplay, Dolphins had raced to 85 for 2, bettering the CLT20 record set by Super Kings earlier in the day.
However, the Dolphins kept losing wickets as they attempted to keep up with the run rate, and with Bravo bowling a miserly spell, their hopes gradually slipped away.