While there are still likely to be many twists and turns during the 2015 Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL), before the end of the regular season, perennial qualifiers the Chennai Super Kings are already looking like potential Champions, yet alone semi-finalists.
On Saturday they will host the Kings XI Punjab in Chennai, and a confident team at the worst of times, will feel even more confident than usual, after their latest victory over the Royal Challengers Bangalore, as the win was secured on the back of performances by some of the lesser lights in their star studded squad.
As the result of the win in Bangalore, and the Rajasthan Royals shock loss to the Kings XI, Chennai trail the table toppers the Royals by just two points, and have played a game less.
Bangalore were congratulating themselves on getting rid of the Kiwi captain, Brendon McCullum in just the second over, but found themselves suffering at the hands of Suresh Raina who scored 62 from 32 balls. They then thought that they had curtailed the late onslaught when they claimed three wickets for just nine runs approaching the last half a dozen overs. At that stage, Faf du Plessis took over and posted 33 from 18 balls.
It was a 35 year old, Ashish Nehra who took centre stage with the ball, finishing with 4 for 10 in his four overs, claiming wickets at vital times of the innings, and Chennai once more proved what a depth of talent they have available to them.
Kings XI have struggled this season, but they took Rajasthan unbeaten record in their last fixture, and they won’t be lacking in confidence themselves as the result of that win. Admittedly it took a super over to split the sides, but having been faced with an opposition total of 191, it would have been easy for the Kings XI to have capitulated, and gone down with a whimper.