After the Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab match ended in a Super Over finish, I came across Lalit Modi’s tweet: “This is what IPL is all about. The most competitive cricket in the world without any doubt.” The only thought that came to mind was, really Mr.Modi?

Now the match may seem enthralling to most people but simply speaking, it was a continuation of Kings’ poor run while Chennai stooped to that low level after a super win over Delhi Daredevils. Sample this: it was another one in the line of failures from the Mohali team. In their four matches, only once did their batting fire collectively and that too they lost to Bangalore. But the remaining three games, only one or two batsmen fire and they end up some thirty runs short everytime. Thanks to Irfan Pathan continuing his rich vein of form and Yuvraj Singh looking like scoring some runs for the first time in this year’s tournament, they ended at 136. Leave aside for the moment that Albie Morkel and Muralitharan bowled decently well for Chennai, since when is a sub-140 score competitive in T20 cricket?

Then, one isn’t too sure how many expected Kings XI to make a match out of it. To their discredit, Chennai Super Kings failed to score 137 in 20 overs – a cakewalk on any other day – faced upto a has been off-spinner and a jet-lagged unknown South African import. It burns my heart to speak in this manner of the efforts of Romesh Powar and Juan Theron, but one is being honest here. It was more Suresh Raina’s team goofing up than Kings XI bowling too well.

As if this mediocrity wasn’t enough, there came the Super Over. Yes, he mauled Delhi with his mongoose bat but seriously speaking, isn’t Mathew Hayden effective enough with the regular bat? A mere ten runs were needed and the moment that Murali stepped up to bowl for Chennai, Kings had won it. Despite the Lankan great’s credentials, doesn’t it occur to any one that hitting out a spinner is far easier than playing a medium pacer in this situation? Last year, Yusuf Pathan thrashed Ajantha Mendis in similar fashion. A spinner bowls at more or less the same speed while the latter can alter length and pace, and fox the batsmen. If Albie Morkel had bowled that one over, Chennai might have won. Period!

Reading back the last three paragraphs, one isn’t convinced at all about whatever Mr. Modi says!