They beat Royal Challengers Bangalore, then they beat Kolkata Knight Riders and on Sunday, they did not only beat Kings XI Punjab, but also knocked them out of IPL 2020. Chennai Super Kings, in an unusually quiet year by their high standards, have finished their campaign with a bang.

Once they were out of contention for the playoffs, the Super Kings have played with renewed vigour.

Their thumping nine-wicket win over Kings XI at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Sunday was their third on the trot.

Kings XI would be heartbroken with how the tournament ended for them. After turning around their wayward campaign in remarkable fashion with five consecutive victories, losses in their last two matches have undone all the good work.

Kings XI would have to blame themselves, it was their batsmen’s injudicious shot selection that stalled their progress, particularly during the middle overs. It was only because of Deepak Hooda’s unbeaten 62 that they somehow managed to reach 153/6 after being put in.

The Super Kings bowlers have to be lauded for the discipline they showed. Lungi Ngidi was among wickets again, striking thrice, while Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir and Ravindra Jadeja were economical.

In reply, Ruturaj Gaikwad (62 not out) and Faf du Plessis (48) got the Super Kings off to a fantastic start, putting on 82 inside nine overs to simplify the chase.

Young Gaikwad, though a tad lucky earlier when a catch taken at point was contentiously ruled in his favour by the TV umpire, came up with yet another display of exquisite batting that hardly featured any slog.

His knock featured six fours and a maximum that guided the Super Kings to victory.