The IPL 2021 saw another pretty similar storyline. Teams like Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore promised a lot at the beginning of the season. They occupied the top half off the table almost entirely but faltered when it mattered the most. Delhi in particular will rue the fact that they lost 3 games at the business end of the tournament. RCB on the other hand lost another game in the playoffs. They went yet another season without winning the title.
Their fate was in sharp contrast to CSK who added another title to their trophy cabinet. CSK ended up winning their 4 IPL title in 9 final appearances. CSK has had many players over the years whom they have shown immense faith in.
This approach of CSK helps the players to excel and express themselves freely which isn’t always the case in a franchise like RCB. Hence many of the players who cross over from RCB to CSK end up feeling more comfortable in the Chennai setup. CSK has immensely benefitted from such players too as they have helped shape title-winning campaigns.
We look at 4 such Ex-RCB players who went on to win the title with CSK:
#4 Cheteshwar Pujara
Cheteshwar Pujara was once part of the famed RCB setup. He opened the innings alongside Chris Gayle in a couple of games. Pujara didn’t have a standout IPL with RCB but his calmness at the crease was reassuring. RCB as expected didn’t retain Pujara for long. After spending many years in the T20 wilderness, CSK finally picked Pujara in the 2021 IPL auctions. It was seen as the way of appreciating the grit he displayed during India’s historic series win in Australia. Pujara to his credit is now an IPL champion despite not featuring in a single game for the yellow brigade.
#3 Shane Watson
The Royal Challengers Bangalore punted big on Shane Watson in the 2016 season. They bagged Watson for a whopping INR 9 crores. But RCB didn’t utilise him smartly. They assigned him the role of a finisher despite knowing how good a top-order batsman he is.
In the most crucial moment of 2016 final, SRH’s Ben Cutting smashed Watson for 40 runs in his last 2 overs. Watson couldn’t really recover post that mauling. RCB didn’t retain him ahead of the mega auctions in 2018. This is where CSK pouched Watson. Watson then delivered a sensational performance right through the season to eventually hand CSK the trophy in 2018.
#2 Moeen Ali
RCB invested heavily in Moeen Ali in the 2019 auctions. They had a lot of expectations from the England allrounder. Ali to his credit did have a fine IPL 2019. He proved to be a crucial cog in RCB’s missing puzzle. But a year later, RCB strangely didn’t maximise Ali’s potential. They either sent him down the order to finish the innings or used him as a floater. But owing to the lack of clarity, Ali couldn’t deliver for RCB in 2020. RCB released him ahead of 2021 auctions.
RCB’s loss was CSK’s gain as they bagged Ali’s services. Moeen Ali transformed CSK’s fortunes right since the very first game. He set the India leg on fire with his free-flowing style. Ali did slip a bit in the UAE leg but CSK persisted with him and he lived up to the faith smashing 20-ball 37 in the finals.
#1 Robin Uthappa
Robin Uthappa was one of RCB’s main batting superstars in the early years of IPL. He lit up RCB’s batting during the 2009-10 seasons. But in a bizarre move, RCB let go of Uthappa in the 2011 auctions. Uthappa then went on to win an IPL campaign with KKR in 2014.
In 2021, when things look finished for him, CSK showed faith in him. And Uthappa brilliantly delivered when it mattered the most. His knocks in both the playoff games proved to be the point of difference. It was another case of CSK trusting its players as compared to RCB who lose patience quite easily. The difference is there for everyone to see.
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