Ambati Rayudu's last ball six off Laxmipathi Balaji at the Eden Gardens indicates how one delivery, one over can determine the difference between defeat and victory in T20.
Defending champion Chennai Super Kings will be banking to ride on one such inspired moment in the DLF IPL4 playoff against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
A high-stakes contest on Tuesday at the Wankhede Stadium with a final berth for the winner on offer creates its own pressure. CSK captain M.S. Dhoni, who thrives on such situations, demonstrated so effectively when he took charge of India's chase in the World Cup final here.
A different format and different set of skills does not alter the challenges in his path, the biggest obstacle being the imposing Chris Gayle.
The giant West Indian is riding a wave of confidence going into the playoffs, battering bowlers using reach and power. The Orange Cap holder with maximum runs (511 runs) and maximum sixes (38) can be tamed, as Kings XI Punjab swing bowler Ryan Harris showed by dismissing Gayle for a duck on the seventh ball at Dharamsala.
Gayle vs. Ashwin
Gayle is a risk-taker, so his approach to tackling off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on a worn-out Wankhede track offering assistance to spinners may become a fascinating contest between two strong-willed individuals.
The RCB blaster will clear the shorter boundaries easily. The CSK bowler is a big-match player, focussed on sticking to length and line without getting intimidated by reputations.
RCB, even if Gayle fails, still remains formidable. De Villiers, Virat Kohli anchor the batting, Zaheer Khan, captain Daniel Vettori, Sreenath Aravind and Charl Langeveldt back each other in the bowling department.
RCB bowlers have been spot on in this edition, with Karnataka left-arm seamer Aravind displaying wicket-taking ability.
Zaheer and Vettori are back refreshed after a short break.
Now Gayle firing away at the top has allowed the batsmen to chase down stiff targets with contemptuous ease. Kohli's knack of building partnerships and pacing the innings has been remarkable.
Coach Ray Jennings faith in the youngster's acumen led to him being the only capped player retained by the Bangalore franchise.
RCB aimed for an overhaul, pulling in established talent from India and abroad at the auction and remains a team in transition.
CSK's outlook is aimed at continuity and consolidation under Dhoni.
The champion looks set to explode in the playoffs.
Coach Stephen Fleming works quietly in the background, putting the pieces together. Subramaniam Badrinath, credited with five half-centuries this year, is one of the players Dhoni has come to depend on. Suresh Raina, Ashwin, Albie Morkel, Doug Bollinger, Michael Hussey, Dwayne Bravo are internationals gifted with the capability to create a moment of magic — a catch or a run-out, a boundary or wicket at a critical time is all it takes the Chennai Super Kings captain to master the endgame.
