The Season's Story
IPL 2018 was defined by the return of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. It was a tale of two philosophies: the suffocating bowling of Sunrisers Hyderabad versus the explosive, experienced batting of CSK, which ultimately led to a dramatic and memorable road to the final.
Qualifier 1: CSK's Great Escape
SRH, powered by Carlos Brathwaite's late cameo, set a modest target of 140. In reply, CSK collapsed to 62/6 against SRH's elite bowling, with Rashid Khan conceding only 11 runs. An impossible chase was made possible by Faf du Plessis, who played a heroic innings of 67*, sealing a dramatic two-wicket victory with a six to send CSK directly to the final.
Qualifier 2: The Rashid Khan Show
Forced into a do-or-die match, SRH faced KKR. The game was single-handedly dominated by Rashid Khan. He first smashed a 10-ball 34*, then took 3 crucial wickets for 19 runs, and topped it off with two catches and a run-out. His all-round brilliance dismantled KKR, securing SRH's place in the final.
The Final: Watson's Redemption Century
In the ultimate showdown, SRH set a competitive 178. CSK's chase began nervously, with Shane Watson failing to score off his first 10 balls. He then unleashed one of the greatest innings in an IPL final, smashing an unbeaten 117* off 57 balls. His brutal assault turned the final into a one-sided affair, securing CSK's third IPL title in their comeback season.