Indian Premier
League 2018 is in its final stages as the top four teams have secured their places for
the playoffs. After some unexpected results for teams in the bottom half of the
IPL points table created an interesting scenario for five teams with a chance
to reach the IPL playoffs, the evening of last Sunday gave us the final four.
After Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings cemented their place,
followed by Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals was the last team to make
it to the playoffs, courtesy a better run rate. Biggies like Royal Challengers
Bangalore, Kings XI Punjab, Delhi Daredevils and others could not accumulate
the necessary wins to qualify, resulting in their exit from the tournament.
Fans,
who had been rooting for their respective teams had to rejig a few things with
the above development. Those supporting all those teams that did not qualify,
have now chosen their new favourites among the four that have qualified for the
playoffs. Chennai Super Kings, however, continues to enjoy the strongest fandom
in Goa, with most supporters rooting for ‘Thalaiva’ Dhoni. KKR comes a close
second with the team having won the hearts of many with their clinical
performance. With a little over a week left for the grand finale, it’ll be
interesting to watch who wins and who perishes.
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Café spoke to a few young
fans of IPL and this is what they had to say:
I am totally gutted. Although
I was ecstatic about the matches that Royal Challengers Bangalore won, the team
was bound to lose because they were far too dependent on Virat Kohli and Ab de
Villiers. RCB never performed like a team this season. It would have been nice
to see them in playoffs, though. But Chennai Super Kings, my second favourites,
have been at the top of their game and have a good chance of winning the
tournament.
– ABHISHEK PRABHUGAONKAR, MARGAO
I have always been a
supporter of underdogs and though the title fit Rajasthan Royals perfectly well
in the debut season of IPL, now they are anything but. Ben Stokes and Jaydev
Unadkat aside, the team has really performed well and Jos Butler seems to be in
pristine form. Players like Krishnapa Gowtham and Klaasen possess the required
firepower to get quick runs on the board in death overs. On the whole, RR is a
force to reckon with.
– RASHISH NAIK, PONDA
Kolkata Knight Riders, under
the leadership of Dinesh Karthik, have been a great example of teamwork done
right. They are a formidable side with a good batting as well as bowling
line-up. With players like Andre Russel and Sunil Narine who can take the match
away with their batting as well bowling, KKR is a lethal side that the other
three teams cannot take lightly. It’d be nice to see more of Shubman Gill’s
batting and see him bat up in the order.
– TRUPTESH PHALDESSAI, BORIM
