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CHENNAI, India (AP) — Murali Vijay smashed 95 to help Chennai Super Kings win the Indian Premier League for the second straight year on Saturday with a thumping 58-run victory over Bangalore Royal Challengers in the final.
Vijay, who hit six sixes and four fours in his 52-ball knock, partnered Australian Michael Hussey (63) to set Chennai on its way to a 205-5 total off 20 overs at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed the tournament's highest run-getter, West Indian Chris Gayle, caught behind for zero in the opening over. He then bowled Mayank Agarwal for 10 in his next over to enable Chennai take a firm grip on the match.
League toppers Bangalore, finalists in 2009, were restricted to 147-8 off 20 overs with Ashwin finishing with 3-16. Chennai, who has made it to the final three times in four editions, has not lost at home in eight matches this season.
"You can say we saved the best for the last," Chennai captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said. "Vijay and Hussey gave us a great start. ... You want to show intent in a final, and show you want to win it, and that's what the batsmen did."
Chennai was provided with a spectacular start with Vijay and Hussey involved in the highest first-wicket stand of the fourth edition of the 10-team Twenty20 tournament.
Vijay raced to his 50 in 29 balls after guiding the defending champions to 94 in 10 overs, and subsequently lashed pacer Sreenath Aravind for two sixes in one over as he tore into the attack. Left-handed Hussey brought up his 50 with a reverse sweep for four off New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori as the pair virtually batted the opposition out of the contest.
Hussey, who had survived a run out chance on 46, was caught at the long-on fence attempting to flat-bat a full toss from left-arm spinner Syed Mohammad in the 15th over.
Dhoni lashed Gayle for two sixes in an over to build on the advantage before Aravind dismissed a tired-looking Vijay — caught at cover by Vettori — and Dhoni was caught at the long-off fence for 22 off successive deliveries in the 19th over.
Gayle dismissed Albie Morkel for two and Suresh Raina for eight in the final over before West Indian Dwayne Bravo took the hosts past the 200-mark with a six off the final delivery.
Bangalore failed to recover following Ashwin's early strikes and lost to the defending champion for the third time in four meetings this season.
Left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati dismissed South African AB de Villiers lbw for 18 and Australian Luke Pomersbach caught and bowled for two to send the visitors spiraling downwards.
"It would have been a much better game if we could have put up a bowling performance like yesterday, but it was not to be. I think 160-170 would have been chaseable," Bangalore skipper Vettori said.
Virat Kohli hit a brisk 35 before Suresh Raina nailed him lbw. Ashwin dismissed Vettori caught and bowled for zero for his third wicket of the match to leave the visitors struggling at 70-6 in 10.2 overs. Saurabh Tiwary hit 42 not out and Zaheer Khan 21 but Chennai had taken the game away.
Gayle, who scored 608 runs in 12 matches after joining Bangalore as an injury replacement, was adjudged Man of the Series.
"Disappointed that we had to lose tonight. Congrats to CSK (Chennai), they played better and deserved to win," Gayle said.
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Vijay, who hit six sixes and four fours in his 52-ball knock, partnered Australian Michael Hussey (63) to set Chennai on its way to a 205-5 total off 20 overs at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed the tournament's highest run-getter, West Indian Chris Gayle, caught behind for zero in the opening over. He then bowled Mayank Agarwal for 10 in his next over to enable Chennai take a firm grip on the match.
League toppers Bangalore, finalists in 2009, were restricted to 147-8 off 20 overs with Ashwin finishing with 3-16. Chennai, who has made it to the final three times in four editions, has not lost at home in eight matches this season.
"You can say we saved the best for the last," Chennai captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said. "Vijay and Hussey gave us a great start. ... You want to show intent in a final, and show you want to win it, and that's what the batsmen did."
Chennai was provided with a spectacular start with Vijay and Hussey involved in the highest first-wicket stand of the fourth edition of the 10-team Twenty20 tournament.
Vijay raced to his 50 in 29 balls after guiding the defending champions to 94 in 10 overs, and subsequently lashed pacer Sreenath Aravind for two sixes in one over as he tore into the attack. Left-handed Hussey brought up his 50 with a reverse sweep for four off New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori as the pair virtually batted the opposition out of the contest.
Hussey, who had survived a run out chance on 46, was caught at the long-on fence attempting to flat-bat a full toss from left-arm spinner Syed Mohammad in the 15th over.
Dhoni lashed Gayle for two sixes in an over to build on the advantage before Aravind dismissed a tired-looking Vijay — caught at cover by Vettori — and Dhoni was caught at the long-off fence for 22 off successive deliveries in the 19th over.
Gayle dismissed Albie Morkel for two and Suresh Raina for eight in the final over before West Indian Dwayne Bravo took the hosts past the 200-mark with a six off the final delivery.
Bangalore failed to recover following Ashwin's early strikes and lost to the defending champion for the third time in four meetings this season.
Left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati dismissed South African AB de Villiers lbw for 18 and Australian Luke Pomersbach caught and bowled for two to send the visitors spiraling downwards.
"It would have been a much better game if we could have put up a bowling performance like yesterday, but it was not to be. I think 160-170 would have been chaseable," Bangalore skipper Vettori said.
Virat Kohli hit a brisk 35 before Suresh Raina nailed him lbw. Ashwin dismissed Vettori caught and bowled for zero for his third wicket of the match to leave the visitors struggling at 70-6 in 10.2 overs. Saurabh Tiwary hit 42 not out and Zaheer Khan 21 but Chennai had taken the game away.
Gayle, who scored 608 runs in 12 matches after joining Bangalore as an injury replacement, was adjudged Man of the Series.
"Disappointed that we had to lose tonight. Congrats to CSK (Chennai), they played better and deserved to win," Gayle said.
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