Mandeep Singh - 56 from 50 balls & MoM
I noticed Cricinfo had mentioned 20 year old Mandeep Singh as a man to watch before the start of this year's IPL, after a good season domestically, and a first class average of 63 is a clear sign of a batsman with plenty of potential. It looks like he's made the opener's spot his own now, whether alongside Marsh or the absent Gilchrist, having played the anchor role with great success today. He got off to a brilliant start with the fielding restrictions in place, able to time strokes to the boundary and pick gaps without having to hit the cover off the ball, and like most short batsmen he looked adept when anything was dropped short, cutting and pulling boundaries early on. The middle overs is something he is yet to adapt to as he looked to be trying to hit the ball too hard and his timing went as a result, the incredible heat in Chennai may have played a part too! He allowed the likes of Marsh, Miller and Mahmood to play around him and is now providing the stability at the top of the order that Punjab so desperately needed.
Azhar Mahmood - 18 from 12 balls & 4-0-25-3
His late arrival has been exactly what Punjab were after and today Azhar Mahmood should probably have got MoM, after a brilliant display with the ball and useful cameo. He is a really experienced 20/20 campaigner and highly versatile, shown by his promotion to number 3 today, and although he scored just 18 runs they came at a S/R of 150 with back to back sixes over long-on to keep up the momentum. It was with the ball that he proved the match winner, taking the huge wicket of du Plessis with a sharp caught and bowled following a clever off-cutter. He then sent back CSK's other opener Badrinath to put his side right back in the game, before coming back brilliantly at the death when Chennai's big hitters Bravo and Morkel were sensing the possibility of an upset. A great all-round display from a man that's turned around Punjab's fortunes.
Dwayne Bravo - 4-0-28-2 & 30 from 21 balls
The Trinidadian will be gutted to have ended up on the losing team today as, like Mahmood, he did a top job with both bat and ball, not to mention his energetic fielding. On a pitch that was receptive to the slower bowlers Bravo utilised canny changes in pace to give the batsman little to work with through the middle overs, as well as taking the wicket of Mahmood which put CSK right back in the game after a good start for the visitors. His batting was a self-less display in a losing cause, coming in at a time when Chennai needed more than 10 an over. A couple of big hits kept things interesting but ultimately his side fell just short, all those bumps and bruises he got in the field were to no avail!
Gautam Gambhir - 93 from 51 balls & MoM
A real captain's performance from Gambhir as he well and truly led from the front with an incredible innings that deserved a hundred. He gave 3 really tough chances throughout but apart from those never looked in much trouble against seamers or spin. He's one of the best players of spin in the world and this was so evident today, the inside out shot over cover a clear trademark of his. Seamers were punished when erring in length and I can remember one incredible pick up over mid-wicket that was played with an almost straight bat, one of 5 sixes in total! He got fired up today, seemingly unhappy with words from de Villiers behind the stumps, and this only seemed to spur him on. I'm sure he'll have been delighted with his sides win as well as a brilliant innings, an astonishing S/R of 182!
Jacques Kallis - 41 from 27 balls & 4-0-31-2
Another top all-round display we were treated to, this time from the best in the business Jacques Kallis. He has dropped down to number 3 in the order, allowing Gambhir to open, and this has benefited the team immensely as Kallis has the class to bat anywhere. Today he came in after a great start from McCullum and Gambhir and kept the innings ticking over before a big finish with 3 well struck sixes, including a stunning hit down the ground. He then bowled with real pace, topping 140kph at times, to sent back two of RCB's most dangerous players in Kohli and then compatriot AB first ball. He bats at 3 and bowls 4 overs a match, showing how crucial he is to KKR's fortunes and today's was a great effort.
Chris Gayle - 86 from 58 balls
Not the Jamaican's best today, but this highlights just how good a player he is, scoring 86 at a S/R of 148 would be considered a fantastic achievement from anyone else! Wickets were constantly falling around him and KKR clearly bowled well, RCB can't simply rely on him to win it for them every time. It was his late assault, off Bhatia in the 19th (1,0,6,6,4,6), that showed just how dangerous he is, able to change gears with devastating ease, although maybe he should have risked some big hitting in the middle overs when RCB still had a chance. If only someone had stayed with him, the loss of de Villiers first ball was probably where the game was lost for them.
Sunil Narine - 4-0-11-1
It was a good day for all the West Indians today as Narine showed why he's the most dangerous spinner going this year, particularly on the spin-friendly pitch at Eden Gardens. Not a single player could pick him today and this was highlighted by the fact that he wasn't taken for a single boundary and his economy was a staggering 2.75! One ball that ripped across Gayle from a length was a real cracker that would have put a few doubts in the minds of the RCB batsmen still waiting in the dugout. He hasn't played every game this year for KKR, sometimes dropped on the seam friendly wickets, but I think the fact that he turns it both ways without being easily noticeable means he should be one of the first names on the team sheet. Simply too good!
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