"Champion of Champions" Chennai Super Kings

[ajaybaskar]

IPL final highest-rated match of tournament

MUMBAI: Saturday's final between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) clocked a television rating of 5.8 which is higher than last year's final, said aMap, an overnight television audience measurement agency. This is also the highest-rated match of the entire tournament which started on April 8.

The final, which was won by Dhoni's CSK men for the second year running, recorded a 123% jump on the average ratings of the entire tournament which stood at 2.6. aMap also said in a statement that the average reach and time spent by audiences also increased substantially for the final when compared to the overall tournament.

"Normally the ratings rebound towards the final. It is typically a U-shaped trend in all the previous editions of the IPL as well. This was an expected rating from an IPL final. In fact, it would have been higher had it been a close finish. The ratings of the final will be comparable to the World Cup finals," said R Gowthaman, leader, South-Asia, Mindshare, the country's largest media agency.

The ratings of the IPL-4 final from TAM Sports, which is subscribed by most media planners and advertisers are expected next week.

"The match enjoyed a net reach of 19.12% which is a jump of 36% compared to an average net reach of 14% throughout the tournament this year," said Jiniti Shah, VP, aMap.

aMap also said with 55 minutes of time spent per viewer in the final, it was 40% higher than the average time spent of 33 minutes per viewer during the course of the IPL-4.

[ajaybaskar]

Camaraderie and commitment are Super Kings' hallmark

Chennai: The Chennai Super Kings cricketers were swarmed by glittering confetti, emotions swirled around, the cameras whirred and the flashbulbs clicked. Beyond the boundary, the crowd roared.

The popular franchise and its supporters will freeze the frame.

CSK's second title victory in the Indian Premier League was a culmination of a campaign driven by team-spirit. A wonderful sense of bonding was unmistakable in Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side.

He is a strong captain with his finger on the pulse of the game. There is this calmness about him that has a soothing influence on his team during tense moments.

The man's stamina — both mentally and physically — is astonishing. When the need arose, Dhoni dismissed the bowling ruthlessly.

He also, shouldering enormous workload, kept wickets capably and handled the pressures of leading the side during the hectic competition where teams criss-crossed the country.

Winning is a lot about self-belief. CSK looked adversity in the eye, clinched thrillers at the death. Situations threw up heroes.

Suresh Raina's blazing onslaught on the Royal Challengers Bangalore bowlers when everything appeared lost for CSK in the first qualifier in Mumbai reflected the resolve in the side.

Murali Vijay not only has a great sense of timing but can also time his performances to suit the occasion. His explosive 95 in the final was an innings where he banished the fear of failure, the biggest scourge of them all.

A batsman cast in the classical mould, Vijay's transformation when he plays Twenty20 cricket is stunning. He clears his front leg in a jiffy and powers the ball a long way between the long-on and mid-wicket fence.

The right-left opening combination of Vijay and Michael Hussey disrupted the line of the RCB bowlers in the summit clash. The RCB attack was hardly allowed to settle into a rhythm. The bowling was dismantled clinically during the match-winning 159-run association. Hussey is more than an accomplished batsman for CSK. The affable Aussie, always willing to share his knowledge, has also donned the role of a mentor to some of the younger members of the side.

Hussey's welcoming smile and words of wisdom have been of immense value to CSK.

Someone like S. Badrinath has learnt much from Hussey. With a heart larger than his frame, Badri was at the heart of some stirring fightbacks for CSK. He relishes the sniff of a duel.

R. Ashwin's bag of tricks and the intelligence with which he mixed his deliveries stood out. He has this precious ability to operate at difficult stages of the innings, is undaunted by reputations.

The manner in which he foxed dangerman Chris Gayle with a quicker, straighter delivery in the title clash will be remembered for long.

Left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati picked himself up after a stumble in the middle of the league phase and off-spinner Suraj Randiv, before he joined the Sri Lankan team in England, impressed with his turn and bounce.

CSK was never short of commitment. Left-arm paceman Doug Bollinger bustled in to send down some game-changing spells. All-rounder Albie Morkel bowled and batted in a manner that was robust and paceman Tim Southee made a difference at the beginning of the competition.

When provided an opportunity, the younger players such as Aniruddha Srikkanth and Wriddhiman Saha contributed. With foreign players such as Scott Styris and Faf du Plesiss in the squad, the side possessed tremendous bench strength.

Importantly, coach Stephen Fleming had the right chemistry with Dhoni. CSK was precise in its planning and execution. And the side fielded marvellously well too.

CSK was a popular winner. The side also took home the Fair Play award.

[ajaybaskar]

The dream merchant

He's been staying at the Chennai hotel from the time the Indian Premier League started but has hardly ever been spotted in the lobby or around the restaurants. Mahendra Singh Dhoni has mastered the art of almost staying invisible. It's not by choice. His charisma is such that anytime he steps out, he cannot avoid being mobbed. To survive in his new avatar, he has mastered all the tricks of living the life of a celebrity. A few hours after adding more magnetism to his persona, Dhoni was on the flight to Mumbai, and had the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on, his eyes shut and the cap pulled down over them. No eye contact is the best way to keep admirers at bay.

The fairytale story of MS Dhoni continues. The successful IPL title defence with Chennai Super Kings is the latest feather in his cap. Even by Dhoni's standards, it has been a crazy year. The brilliant fightback to achieve the first-ever drawn Test series in South Africa and the glorious World Cup campaign preceded the great IPL run.

"He makes for an amazing case study..., coming from Jharkhand and the way he has understood the Indian set up,” said Kiran More, who as the chief selector gave him his international break.

“He keenly observed the captains he played under, like Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble as well as the legends Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman. He picked up the important points but maintained his style.

Fairytale run

“Dhoni is writing his own script. He’s not just lucky; he knows what he’s doing; it’s the hallmark of his captaincy. He knows which player to pick, whom to back, and how best to use him.

“S Badrinath and Albie Morkel are classic cases, both don’t figure in international cricket. The best example during this IPL was CSK’s qualifier against Royal Challengers Bangalore. It looked like an impossible chase as at one stage they needed 105 to win in 48 balls, but they never panicked.

“Badrinath and Suresh Raina laid the foundation after the early exit of the openers and then Dhoni got his order spot on, timing his and Albie’s entry to perfection. That is the stuff legends are made of,” said More.

What more?

Having led his team to the No 1 Test rank, won the biggest prize in one-day and twenty20 cricket, what's there for Dhoni to achieve?

“I want him to develop some more cricketers for the Indian team and lead a smooth transition as in the recent future, there’s going to be a big void after Tendulkar, Laxman and Dravid hang their boots. After 2012 we may have a totally different team. He now has to build a team for the 2015 World Cup,” adds More.

[ajaybaskar]

Chennai home to IPL final again in 2012

CHENNAI: Chennai partied like never before on Saturday night, with celebrations around Chepauk and the Marina beach going on well past midnight, and now it seems there might be more revelry in store. Not only did cricket buffs here get to see Indian Premier League (IPL) team Chennai Super Kings retain their crown, the city may get to see the IPL 5 final too following decisions made by the IPL governing council.

The IPL committee has taken a decision that the team that wins the tournament will get to host the final the following year. "The IPL commission has taken a decision on those lines and as of now, next year's final will be in Chennai," a senior BCCI functionary told TOI. This is, of course, an added incentive for franchisees to go for maximum. Earlier, there used to be a bidding process for the IPL final, with the host-status going to the highest bidder.

CSK players are elated that the final will be back in Chennai. "It's a big boost for us. We have played well right through the tournament here and we know how to go about it," a senior CSK player said. The champions won all the eight matches they played at the Chepauk this year, with only a couple of games against Kolkata Knight Riders and Deccan Chargers going down to the wire.

Dhoni left 'a bit disappointed'!

On Saturday night, as the team partied hard after the game, skipper MS Dhoni sat glued to a TV set at a nightclub, watching Barcelona take on Manchester United in the Champions League final. "Dhoni is a big United fan. So he was a bit disappointed after his favourite team lost. But then, the mood in the camp was such that the disappointment didn't linger long," a source said.

CSK's owners too are delighted with the team's performance. TOI has learnt that the management will put in another Rs 10 crore - in addition to the Rs 10 crore IPL prize money the team won on Saturday - and the entire booty will be distributed among players and support staff.

However, all the players looked tired and with flights to catch on Sunday, the celebrations were called off earlier than planned. After all, quite a few players in the team will be leaving for the Caribbean soon to take on the Windies.

[ajaybaskar]

[ajaybaskar]

[ajaybaskar]

IPL 2011: AN UNFORGETTABLE ADVENTURE 30 May 2011, 12:55:17 PM

Posted by Faf du Plessis

I have to be honest. As I write this, I’m not feeling the strongest I’ve ever felt, after one of the bigger parties I’ve ever had. In fact, I haven’t had much sleep, but, I think it’s justified – we’re IPL champions, and everyone at the Chennai Super Kings has worked incredibly hard to get here.

It really is the cherry on top, after four months in India, combining the World Cup and the IPL.

Although it’s still pretty soon after the event and the final, I’m already reflecting on what has been an amazing couple of months. Initially, the most important thing for me was being part of a championship side, and with Chennai being the defending champions, I knew I would be involved in a professional set-up. That definitely proved to be the case, as we were definitely the best side during the league stages and then in the final, we just played the perfect game.

I’ve obviously learnt a lot, playing with world-class players and an experienced coach, and if I look at this team, what stands out is that at crucial times, the big players step up and perform.

Someone like Murali Vijay is a great example. Last year, he was an absolute superstar and one of the players of the tournament. This year, he didn’t have as good a season, but when it mattered, he rose to the occasion, and on the biggest stage, he produced one of the better innings you’ll ever see.

It was the same with someone like Mike Hussey. Two games before, against Bangalore, Zaheer Khan got rid of him cheaply, but in the final, he came good with another unbelievable innings. For me, that’s something that stood out. When it comes to semifinals and finals, it’s essential that your key players are in form and are pulling their weight.

Obviously, we were so fortunate that we had so many guys who were match-winners and that’s a credit to the management staff who bought the players. Someone like Ashwin, for me, is the best spinner in the world at the moment. He’s just unbelievable, with so many different variations, and he doesn’t give you anything to hit.

I want to take you through the experience of match day on the day of the final.

The start of it was pretty similar to any other match day, with management focusing on all the guys relaxing and not getting out in the sun too much. So, time was spent in and around the hotel until about 5pm, when we gathered in the team room and our media manager played a video for us, showing how everyone in the squad had contributed to us getting to the final.

After that, it was something a little different, but rather special. Our coach, Stephen Fleming, called us into another room and we had a ceremony, handing out the team shirts and saying a few words about just enjoying the moment. It was a really nice touch and actually quite emotional, as everyone could see just how far we’ve come as a team. We’ve all gotten quite close and become something of a family.

Heading out to the bus, we got a great reception from the fans outside the hotel and then headed to the ground. When we got there, we actually had a bit more time on our hands than usual, so we relaxed, had some dinner and then slowly headed out to do our warm-ups. Everyone went through their routines and, as I wasn’t in the starting line-up, I concentrated on going through my fielding drills and making sure I was ready, if needed.

We knew that the toss would play a role – not crucial, but it was a good one to win, as runs on the board in Chennai are always valuable. Thereafter, it was, as I’ve mentioned, a near-perfect batting effort, based on an outstanding opening partnership from Hussey and Vijay.

In the bowling department, the guys stuck to their plans. I even got a chance to do some fielding, going on for three overs after Albie Morkel got stung by a bee! It was just wonderful to play some direct part in things, in the final, although there was nothing from me in terms of catches and run-outs.

There was lots of emotion afterwards, with all the guys hugging each other and reveling in the moment. We had our team song out on the field and then did a victory lap, in front of about 50 000 fans, all waving the yellow flag. It really was something to see.

After that, a recap in the change room where the owner joined us and thanked everyone. It really is a well-run set-up here and a pleasure to play for such a professional outfit. We then headed back to the hotel and a couple of drinks with the guys turned into a few more. Suffice to say, it was a late night and a thoroughly enjoyable one.

All in all, a couple of months to remember and a fantastic experience, which I’m sure I’ll never forget. I’m off now to meet up with my girlfriend for nine days in Mauritius. I’ll touch base soon.

[ajaybaskar]

Stephen Fleming - the man behind CSK's success

Bangalore, May 30: Now that the dust has settled after the euphoria over Chennai Super King's second consecutive IPL Champions title, there is one man in the outfit who has never been in the limelight this entire season and yet has managed to add much to himself. Speaking about backroom boys, Stephen Fleming, the Chennai Super Kings coach is as good as it gets and his record with the side speaks for that - two IPL titles accompanied by a Champions League crown.

So, what is it about him that has ensured that CSK remain as the team to beat in the Indian Premier Leagues. Clearly, the first thing that comes in to mind is his rapport with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Does that ring a bell about MSD's chemistry with former India coach Gary Kirsten and the astounding success it brought to the Indian cricket team.

Clearly, the coach-captain relation is the most important one to any team's success. An uneasy relation between the two most important persons in a team can only prove detrimental to the team's success. And it seems Fleming alongwith Dhoni have realised the importance of camaderie between a captain and coach.

Fleming, during his playing days was comsidered the best captain around. That was significant because at his disposal was no team full of match-winners, but he coerced them strategically in to a lethal unit that could always dole out a killer blow to the opposition. He has surely retained his cricketing acumen that is in a way helping out the CSK team and Dhoni in particular to chalk out strategies for each and every opposition.

Fleming was a very fine cricketer, but he also realises that it is the player who are stars and any attempt to hog the limelight can only brew among his players a sense of insecurity. He has had his share of the glory during his playing days, and now as a coach, he needs to give his wards a chance to carve out a niche for themselves. It is this approach of his, which has always ensured that fringe players like R Ashwin and Shadab Jakati, get due credit from the media after every match-winning effort.

There is also his inexperience as a coach that plays a very important role in bringing him the success he has enjoyed so far in that role. A lack of experience means, he is always open to players who love to bounce across ideas to him, and he using his vast experience as a player judges and implements the best ones. In another way, his lack of experience also ensures that he arrives without any baggage of pre-conceived notions and is thus not reluctant to go for fresher and untried strategies. Though the risks of failure are high, but with the players that he has at his disposal, it is more often than not that he succeeds.

His inexperience as a coach, media-shy image, great record as a player, rapport with the skipper of his side are some similarities that he shares with Garry Kirsten and thus it shouldn't be a surprise that he enjoys similar success as the South African.

[ajaybaskar]

Chennai IPL crown gives boost to Fleming's coaching career

WELLINGTON: Former New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming continued a strong start to his coaching career by winning consecutive Indian Premier League titles, which ensured that big money flows into his bank account, one year into a new three-year deal with Chennai Super Kings.

Fleming won the battle of former New Zealand skippers when Chennai beat the Daniel Vettori-captained Royal Challengers Bangalore by 58 runs in the final.

Chasing an unlikely 206 to win, Bangalore reached 147-8. West Indies star Chris Gayle, who had smacked 608 tournament runs at an average of 76 and a strike rate of 183, was removed in the first over.

Fleming enjoys the right chemistry with skipper MS Dhoni and other players emulate this camaraderie.

CSK was also precise in its planning and execution. And the side fielded marvellously well too.

CSK was a popular winner. The side also took home the Fair Play award.

[vanchi]

champion stuff.
//missed the live action and most importantly jr thanni's reaction//