Date: May 22, 2014
Location: MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk), Chennai.
Event: IPL Match 46 - SRH vs. Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Chepauk is MS Dhoni's fortress. It is humid, sticky, and the pitch is a "dustbowl"—dry, cracking, and a paradise for spinners. SRH needed to win to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Toss:
MS Dhoni won the toss.
"We will bowl first," Dhoni smiled. "Pitch will turn now. Dew might come later."
The Collapse
SRH's top order crumbled against the spin web.
Shikhar Dhawan was trapped LBW by R. Ashwin.
David Warner was bowled by Ravindra Jadeja (ball turned square).
KL Rahul was run out in a mix-up.
Score: 65/4 in 11 Overs.
Sai Walks In
Sai walked in at Number 6, joining Naman Ojha. The crowd was deafening, a sea of yellow.
R. Ashwin (Figures: 2-0-9-1) was bowling.
The Gritty Partnership
Sai realized early on that trying to hit across the line was suicide.
Over 13:
Ashwin bowled the carrom ball. Sai read the middle finger snap. He waited on the backfoot and punched it to long-on for a single.
He rotated the strike. 1 run. 1 run. 2 runs.
Over 16:
Ravindra Jadeja (Figures: 3-0-18-1) darted one in.
Sai stepped out. He didn't slog. He played with the spin, lofting it inside-out over extra cover.
FOUR.
Next ball, Jadeja fired it wide. Sai cut it late.
FOUR.
SRH clawed their way back. Sai and Naman Ojha added 60 runs.
Sai finished on 52 (38 balls)*.
SRH posted 148/5.
It was a fighting total on a turning track.
The Defense: Sai vs Dhoni
CSK were cruising at 100/3, but the pitch slowed down.
Equation: 25 runs needed off 18 balls.
MS Dhoni and Faf du Plessis were at the crease.
Captain Sammy threw the ball to Sai for the 18th over.
"Don't give Dhoni pace."
Ball 1: Sai bowled a 118 kph cutter. Dhoni reached out and patted it to cover. Dot.
Ball 2: Wide yorker. Dhoni squeezed it for a single.
Ball 3: Faf tried to scoop. Missed.
Ball 4: Faf hit a boundary.
Ball 5: Single.
Ball 6: Dhoni on strike. Sai bowled a knuckleball. Dhoni mistimed the pull. Single.
Sai conceded just 7 runs in the 18th over.
Figures: 4-0-28-0.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled a masterclass 19th over, and Dale Steyn defended 10 runs in the last over.
SRH Won by 6 runs.
Date: May 25, 2014
Location: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.
Event: IPL Match 50 - SRH vs. Kings XI Punjab (KXIP).
This was the ultimate test. KXIP was the team of the tournament.
Glenn Maxwell and David Miller were destroying bowling attacks for fun. Maxwell was batting like he was playing a video game.
The Maxwell Storm
KXIP batted first.
Virender Sehwag gave a quick start, then Glenn Maxwell walked in.
He didn't just hit; he reverse-swept fast bowlers for six.
He hit Amit Mishra out of the attack.
Score: 160/2 in 15 Overs. Maxwell on 80 off 40 balls.
Over 16:
Sai was brought on.
Maxwell saw the "kid". He switched his stance to left-handed before Sai even ran in.
Ball 1:
Sai saw the switch. He aimed a yorker at the leg stump (which was now off stump).
Maxwell adjusted and scooped it over fine leg.
SIX.
"He is a freak," Sai muttered.
Ball 2:
Sai went round the wicket. He bowled a wide slow bouncer.
Maxwell reached for it. He tried to slap it over cover.
The lack of pace deceived him.
Toe end of the bat.
The ball looped to Dale Steyn at long-off.
WICKET!
G. Maxwell c Steyn b Sai Krishna 86.
Sai roared. He had removed the most dangerous batsman in the world.
KXIP finished at 205/5.
The Chase
206 to win.
David Warner exploded. He smashed 81 off 52 balls.
But wickets kept falling.
Sai came in at 150/4 in the 15th over.
Equation: 56 runs off 30 balls.
He partnered with Naman Ojha.
Sai played the "Finisher" role perfectly. He targeted the short boundaries.
He took Sandeep Sharma for 20 runs in the 18th over (6, 4, 4, 2, 4).
SRH won with 4 balls to spare.
Sai Krishna: 35 (16 balls).
(Sai Krishna Bowling Stats: 9 Matches, 7 Wickets, Econ 7.8)
Date: May 29, 2014
Location: Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
Event: IPL Match 56 (Last League Match) - SRH vs. KKR.
The equation was simple.
SRH needed to win to secure the 4th spot. If they lost, Mumbai Indians (who had just chased down 190 in 14 overs in that insane Corey Anderson game) would sneak in on Net Run Rate.
KKR was already qualified, but they were playing for the Top 2 spot.
The Toss:
Gautam Gambhir won the toss and elected to Bowl. "Eden chases well," he said.
SRH Innings: The Yusuf Pathan Scare
SRH batted bravely.
David Warner smashed 50.
Sai Krishna chipped in with a rapid 30 off 20 balls before being trapped LBW by Sunil Narine.
SRH posted 160/7.
It was a tricky total. Not huge, but defendable if they bowled well.
KKR Chase: The Pathan Blitz
KKR was in trouble early. Bhuvi and Steyn reduced them to 77/4 in 13 overs.
Then Yusuf Pathan walked in.
In reality, Yusuf Pathan played one of the fastest IPL fifties in this match (22 balls).
He destroyed Dale Steyn, hitting him for 26 runs in an over.
The Crisis Point
Equation: 40 runs needed off 24 balls.
Yusuf was batting on 60 off 20 balls.
Captain Sammy looked helpless. Steyn had been murdered.
He threw the ball to Sai.
"Just... try something different."
Over 17:
Sai vs Yusuf Pathan.
Ball 1: Wide yorker. Yusuf missed.
Ball 2: Low full toss. Yusuf hit it to long-on. Didn't run. (He wanted strike).
Ball 3: Yusuf on strike.
Sai saw Yusuf clearing his front leg.
Sai bowled a bouncers.
136 kph.
It surprised Yusuf. He tried to hook. Top edge.
The ball went high in the Kolkata night sky.
Shikhar Dhawan ran from cover. He dived.
Taken.
WICKET!
Yusuf Pathan c Dhawan b Sai Krishna 65.
The Eden Gardens went silent. Sai had silenced 60,000 people.
The Finish
With Yusuf gone, the tail couldn't finish it.
SRH won by 15 runs.
They had Qualified.
Stats Update (End of League Stage)
Orange Cap: Robin Uthappa (KKR) - 660 Runs.
Sai Krishna: 375 Runs (Avg 37.5, SR 140).
Purple Cap: Mohit Sharma (CSK) - 22 Wickets.
Sai Krishna: 8 Wickets (Econ 7.6).
Date: June 1, 2014
Location: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
Event: IPL Eliminator - SRH vs. CSK.
(Note: Since KKR finished 2nd, SRH plays CSK, who finished 3rd. KKR played KXIP in Qualifier 1).
The Atmosphere
Playoffs. The stakes were maximum.
SRH vs CSK. The Southern Derby in Mumbai.
MS Dhoni vs Darren Sammy.
The Toss:
Dhoni won the toss and bowled. "Pressure of a semi-final is better while chasing," Dhoni said.
SRH Innings: The Struggle
The CSK bowlers, Ashish Nehra and Mohit Sharma, were clinical.
They swung the ball early.
Dhawan (10) and Warner (12) fell cheaply.
Score: 40/2 in 6 Overs.
Sai's Rescue Act
Sai walked in at Number 4.
He built a partnership with KL Rahul.
They didn't panic. They ran hard twos.
Sai reached his 50 off 40 balls.
In the last 3 overs, Sai exploded.
He hit Ravindra Jadeja for two sixes in the 18th over.
SRH posted 170/6.
Sai finished with 65 (45 balls).
It was a winning total in a playoff.
CSK Chase: The Raina Show
CSK lost Dwayne Smith and Faf du Plessis early.
Score: 30/2.
Then Suresh Raina walked in.
Raina loves the Wankhede.
He batted like a man possessed. He scored 30 runs in the Powerplay over bowled by Parvez Rasool (in reality, this happened against KXIP, but here Raina does it vs SRH).
The Turning Point
CSK needed 40 runs off 24 balls. Raina was on 80.
Sai was brought on for the 17th over.
Ball 1: Raina stepped out. Sai bowled wide. Raina sliced it over point for FOUR.
Ball 2: Raina tried to pull. Sai bowled a slow bouncer. Raina mistimed it.
The ball went up.
Karn Sharma at deep mid-wicket settled under it.
He dropped it.
And it rolled for FOUR.
Sai sank to his knees.
That was the match.
Raina finished the game in the 19th over.
CSK Won by 6 Wickets.
SRH Eliminated.
The Locker Room
The room was silent.
Sai sat with a towel over his head.
He had scored 65 runs. He had created the chance to get Raina out.
But they lost.
VVS Laxman stood up.
"Hold your heads high. We weren't supposed to make the playoffs. We fought. Sai, take that towel off."
Sai looked up.
"You were our Find of the Season," Laxman said. "Emerging Player of the Year nominee. Be proud."
Sai nodded. But the hunger in his stomach was burning.
Emerging Player is for kids.
I want the Orange Cap.
Season Complete: IPL 2014.
Final Stats:
Matches: 13
Runs: 440
Average: 40.0
Strike Rate: 142.5
Wickets: 8
Status: SRH Core Member Retained.