MUMBAI, India, CMC – West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo says Chennai Super Kings’ Indian Premier League triumph was made all the more special because of the many recent challenges encountered by the franchise.
CSK were banned from the IPL for the last two season but completed a fairytale turnaround when they beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets in yesterday’s final at the Wankhede Stadium, to lift their third title.
“It’s been good, a special moment because the team hadn’t played together for two years,” said the former Windies one-day captain.
“For most of the guys, this was the first time with the franchise. Then we had to move from Chennai. Lot of things were going wrong, but we kept focus. There’s nothing better than winning titles. That’s why I’m very happy for the team.”
Sent in, Sunrisers piled up 178 for six off their 20 overs but then watched as CSK easily chased down the target to win with nine balls to spare.
They were spearheaded by an imperious unbeaten 117 from Australian opener Shane Watson, who anchored a crucial 117-run, second wicket stand with Suresh Raina (32) to put the team in a winning position. Bravo said the seasoned campaigners in the unit had always backed their experience to shine through in difficult situations.
“We always said experience will get the better of youth. The amount of games all of us have put together are for moments like these,” the Trinidadian explained.
“Shane Watson batted on one leg, struggling with a hamstring injury, but his experience got him through. He’s a world-class player and I’m very happy for the entire team.”
Bravo finished with 141 runs at an average of 35 and grabbed 14 wickets with his medium pace at an economy rate of nearly 10.
