2nd Semi-Final at Johannesburg - Chennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers Bangalore
2nd Semi-Final - Chennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers Bangalore
May 23, 2009
Last year's runners up Chennai Super Kings will take on their South Indian neighbour Bangalore Royal Challengers in the second semi for a spot in Sunday's final. Bangalore was a team that many had written off even before they started their campaign in South Africa, following their disastrous season in 2008. However, Bangalore started out with a bang under their new skipper Kevin Pietersen by comprehensively defeating last year's champions Rajasthan Royals. Kevin Pietersen, the highest paid player in this year's IPL, couldn't find his form, and the team too looked out of sorts, losing four games in a row to find themselves at the back end of the table. It was when Anil Kumble took over the reins that Bangalore won 6 games out of 8, culminating with three wins in a row against the three other semi-finalists.
Chennai and Bangalore have clashed twice this season with each side coming out on top once. Chennai completely demolished Bangalore in the first meeting by a whopping margin of 92 runs, but Bangalore came back in the second meeting by bundling out Chennai for 129, and winning with 2 wickets to spare.
Chennai boasts one of the most destructive batting line-ups this season with Hayden and Raina, both amassing over 400 runs each. Hayden is on top of the batting table, with 546 runs in 11 innings at an impressive average of 54.6, and a strike rate of 145.2.
2nd Semi-Final at Johannesburg - Chennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers Bangalore
Second Semi-Final: Royal Challengers thump Chennai by 6 wickets
May 23, 2009
Anil Kumble's bowlers restricted last year’s runners-up Super Kings to 146 for five in 20 overs and then 19-year-old Man of the Match Manish Pandey (48) and the veteran Rahul Dravid (44) played sensibly to put Royal Challengers in the finals, with seven balls to spare. Bangalore, one of the worst teams in the inaugural IPL, and dubbed "The Test Team", will now face another side that struggled in the 2008 season, Deccan Chargers, in the final at the Wanderers.
Chennai Super Kings: Matthew Hayden, Parthiv Patel, Lakshmipathy Balaji, MS Dhoni (Capt), Suresh Raina, Jacob Oram, Albie Morkel, Muttiah Muralitharan, Subramaniam Badrinath, Shadab Jakati, Manpreet Gony
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble (Capt), Robin Uthappa, Praveen Kumar, Ross Taylor, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Virat Kohli, Vinay Kumar, Manish Pandey, RD Merwe.
RCB v CSK, Second Semi: Royal Challengers Bangalore 149 for 4 (Pandey 48, Dravid 44) beat Chennai Super Kings 146 for 5 (Parthiv 36, 2-38) by six wickets
Last year's runners up Chennai Super Kings will take on their South Indian neighbour Bangalore Royal Challengers in the second semi for a spot in Sunday's final. Bangalore was a team that many had written off even before they started their campaign in South Africa, following their disastrous season in 2008.