Waves of yellow swept across the stands at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium as Chennai Super Kings brought in its second successive IPL crown on Saturday, in the process preserving its spotless home record for the season.
Having beaten Royal Challengers Bangalore to the title, the Men in Yellow took the field for a lap of honour, all along waving to an adulating crowd that has seen its team remain undefeated at home this year.
The final, contested between the two most dominant teams in the league, followed the set pattern of most of Chennai's home wins: bat first, strangulate the chase with wickets, and let the target creep beyond the scope of the visiting side.
After Super Kings posted 205 for five, it was always going to be orange cap winner Chris Gayle who had it in him to spoil the script for the defending champion.
But once the dangerous West Indian departed for a blob in the first over, the chase was never on. The win was Super Kings' eighth in eight home matches this year.
Brilliant record
The second title also ensured that the Men in Yellow maintained and extended their statistical dominance further into the realm of a Twenty20 improbability.
Super Kings' overall record now reads two titles, three finals, and four semifinal appearances — figures that will take some beating as the league progresses through the years.
The final was the 74th match of IPL-IV, which made for a humungous number of games to follow even for the most rabid of fans.
But for the followers of the yellow brigade, it was all well that ended well.
