Super Kings vs. Knight Riders, CLT20 Final: Highlights, Scorecard and Report

The Chennai Super Kings won the Champions League T20 Final, beating the Kolkata Knight Riders by eight wickets in an engrossing clash in Bangalore.

The result was confirmed by the CLT20 account:

Gautam Gambhir scored a superb 80 to help his Kolkata side to a first innings score of 180-6, that despite the best efforts of Chennai spin bowler Pawan Negi, who took five wickets in a masterclass of limited overs bowling.

But a fine 118-run partnership between Suresh Raina—who scored 109 in a truly magnificent knock—and Brendon McCullum was the bedrock of the Super Kings response, as they surpassed the requisite total with nine balls to spare.

Here's the scorecard from this encapsulating match:

Kolkata Innings
Chennai Innings
Batsman	Dismissal	Runs	Balls
RV Uthappa†	st †Dhoni b Negi	39	32
G Gambhir*	c McCullum b Jadeja	80	52
JH Kallis	c Nehra b Negi	1	4
MK Pandey	c McCullum b Negi	32	19
YK Pathan	not out	20	9
RN ten Doeschate	st †Dhoni b Negi	0	1
SA Yadav	c Nehra b Negi	0	2
AD Russell	not out	2	2
Extras	(lb 2, w 3, nb 1)	6
	Total	(6 wickets; 20 overs)	180
Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
A Nehra	4	0	54	0
MM Sharma	3	0	27	0
R Ashwin	3	0	26	0
P Negi	4	0	22	5
RA Jadeja	4	0	25	1
DJ Bravo	2	0	24	0
Batsman	Dismissal	Runs	Balls
DR Smith	b Cummins	8	5
BB McCullum	c ten Doeschate b Pathan	39	30
SK Raina	not out	109	62
MS Dhoni*†	not out	23	14
Extras	(lb 2, w 4)	6
	Total	(2 wickets; 18.3 overs)	185
Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
PJ Cummins	3	0	32	1
AD Russell	2	0	14	0
Kuldeep Yadav	4	0	44	0
PP Chawla	3	0	38	0
SA Yadav	3	0	21	0
YK Pathan	3.3	0	0	1

Highlights to follow

Momentum is vital in limited overs cricket and subsequently, the Knight Riders will have been delighted to have gotten off to a fantastic start. The opening duo of Robin Uthappa and Gambhir set the tone superbly for the innings, playing with a real purpose from the off.

Gallo Images/Getty Images

The scoreboard had moved onto 91-0 by the time Chennai made their first breakthrough of the day, as Negi had Uthappa stumped by Mahendra Singh Dhoni for 39. Jacques Kallis strode to the crease at No. 3, but the veteran all-rounder couldn't make any impact; he also fell to Negi for just one run.

With the Kolkata total suddenly reading 97-2, there was a danger that the early impetus accrued could have been sapped. But with Gambhir at the crease in sparkling form, Kolkata were able to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

Indeed, Waѕiyullah Budye felt that given the nature of the pitch and Gambhir's quality, the Knight Riders should have been targeting an enormous score:

"

With ball coming on the bat easily #KKR need to post above 200. Gambhir playing vital role here. He need to keep going #clt20Final #CSKvKKR

— Waѕiyullah Budye (@WasiyullahB) October 4, 2014"

Gambhir eventually fell in the 17th over for a fine 80 from just 52 balls, and with the Knight Riders on 136-3, they had the freedom to launch a real assault during the remaining overs. And they went about doing exactly that, with a quick-fire 32 from Manish Pandey and another 20 from the nine balls faced by Yusuf Pathan helping them along.

A score of 200 was out of reach in the end, as Kolkata concluded on 180-6. But credit must go to the Chennai bowling attack, and especially Negi, who took wickets at vital moments and ended up with stellar figures of 5-22.

The Chennai Super Kings Twitter account paid tribute to the performance of their spin bowler:

As did the Knight Riders, who encouraged their side to take their chance:

Buoyed by the late flourish from Pandey and Pathan, the Kolkata bowlers looked to have a spring in their step. And they got off to the best possible start when Pat Cummins bowled the dangerous Dwayne Smith for just eight in the first over. Just as they had done when batting, the Knight Riders had set a positive precedent for the innings.

Aijaz Rahi/Associated Press

But the Super Kings have been long regarded as the best side in the competition, and the class of McCullum and Raina was always going to be difficult to stifle.

The pair were excellent in their batting and looked eminently unflustered despite the high pressure situation. They both played with freedom and fluidity, keeping the heat on the Kolkata bowlers by racking up the runs via a combination of smartly run singles and brutal strikes to the boundary.

By the time Kolkata eventually took another wicket, McCullum and Raina had put on 118 runs, and the Super Kings were sitting pretty on 127-2. And even in the face of that loss, the Indian continued to knock off the runs, and eventually went past the requisite score required to take the Golden Bat, as noted here by CricketAus:

England all-rounder Ravi Bopara had especially high praise for the performance of the Chennai No. 3:

The Indian batsman continued to accelerate his innings with precision and he eventually reached his century from just 59 balls. The timing of his surge was near perfect, and with Chennai needing circa a run-a-ball with just a couple of overs remaining, the Kolkara resistance was broken.

Stu Forster/Getty Images

Fittingly, Raina was there at the end to see his team home, as Dhoni finished the match with a six. Chennai had made 185/2 to triumph by eight wickets and Raina had 109 not out; a staggering innings that included six fours and eight sixes.

Raina will take the headlines after another glittering performance, and he certainly warrants plenty of acclaim for such a wonderful knock in such an important game.

Uncredited/Associated Press

But the performance of Negi, who halted the Kolkata innings at the right moments, shouldn't go understated. The spinner helped slow down the scoring of the Knight Riders late in the innings, affording the likes of Raini and McCullum that little bit more of a cushion in chasing down the target of 180.

Ultimately, Chennai are thoroughly deserving in their triumph. Their squad is bristling with players of an especially high calibre and the strength in depth they have is incomparable to the rest of the sides taking part in what has been an encapsulating tournament. In the end, their eventual success comes as little surprise.