The sixth edition of the Champions League Twenty20 largely went along expected lines with the Indian Premier League teams holding sway. Defending champions Mumbai Indians were an exception as they fared miserably and stumbled out of the tournament in the qualifying stage itself.
Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab however, faced no such problems as they stormed into the semi-finals with a perfect record from the group stage. Chennai Super Kings were the last to make the cut but once they entered the semis, they stepped up their game and muscled in strong displays to win the title for the second time.
Overall it was their fourth title – IPL 2009, 2011, CLT20 2010, 2014 – from seven finals, which shows their dominance in the format.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s boys were hungrier for success following a trophy-less run since 2011, and every member of the team was fired up to go for the kill. They routed Punjab by 65 runs in the semis and carried that form into the final by thumping Kolkata by eight wickets.
Suresh Raina was their batting hero scoring an unbeaten 109 off 62 balls in the final. The Chennai bowling, which was their weakest link, came alive when it mattered in the semis and final.
Chennai started on a wrong note losing to Kolkata by three wick- ets and then their next game was abandoned but they bounced back by winning their remaining two games. Failing to garner full points in the first two games haunted them as Lahore Lions were also in reckoning for a semi-final spot. But Lahore’s defeat to Perth Scorchers in their last group match allowed Chennai to breathe easy.
Chennai coach Stephen Fleming revealed the team consciously decided to raise their game once they entered the semis.
He said: “What we were determined to do once we got the chance to get to the semi-final is just increase the tempo and our leading players did that.
“We have not only confidence but a desire to do well when we get to semi-finals and finals. It doesn’t always go your way but the more you experience it, once again it goes into the memory bank and you become a little bit more comfortable with it and you can relate to it a little bit more although playing KKR is never easy,” he added.
Kolkata did extremely well with an all-win record until the final, where the absence of their star bowler Sunil Narine hit them hard.
The off-spinner who had claimed 12 scalps to emerge as the top wicket- taker of the tournament was amongst the biggest names to be hauled up for bowling with an illegal action. He was first reported in Kolkata’s last group match against Dolphins and was hauled up again in the semi-final against Hobart Hurricanes leading to his suspension.
The IPL champions, who had won 14 matches in a row, failed to come to terms with Narine’s loss and the bowling was easy meat for the power-packed Chennai batting in the final.
Punjab, playing in the tournament for the first time, were hugely impressive in the group stage but a batting collapse in the semis halted their march.
Hobart Hurricanes flew the flag high for debutant teams by entering the semi-final while Lahore Lions and Northern Knights gave a good account of themselves. South Africa’s T20 champions Dolphins and Caribbean Premier League winners Barbados Tridents did not fare too well and struggled to notch victories. Perth Scorchers’ brand of cricket was the most entertaining and it was a shame that the Big Bash champions were not able to enter the knockouts.
Cape Cobras shone in patches but that wasn’t enough to help rise in the group. Sri Lanka’s Southern Express had a forgettable debut as they lost all games in the qualifiers.
