1. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) vs Kings XI Punjab (KXIP): 

'A game of inches' tweeted Harsha Bhogle at the end of this nail-biting crackerjack and he echoed what the IPL Fans across the world felt. KKR batting first put up a decent total of 164 on the back of half-centuries from Shubman Gill and Captain Dinesh Karthik. It was a much-needed knock for the KKR Captain who had been under immense pressure. The KXIP fielding was sharp as there were three runouts in the first innings.

KXIP started brilliantly with both their in-form openers scoring big. KXIP captain KL Rahul finished with 74 while his partner Mayank Agarwal scored 56. The boys from Punjab were well poised to take home two much-needed points but wickets in quick successions brought KKR back into the game. What followed was a dramatic finish to the game with a six needed off the last ball to tie the match.

Glenn Maxwell’s last ball shot was inches away from the boundary which would have resulted in a super over. KKR were lucky to pull off this victory and will be happy with the two points in the bag. KXIP stayed at the bottom of the IPL standings with just one win until now.

My Ratings:

KKR - 8 / 10

KXIP - 7.5 / 10

2.  Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK): 

The battle of the big guns did not disappoint much. A King Kohli masterclass was in store as he once again proved why he is considered one of the best players in the world with a magical 90 not out on a tricky batting pitch. On the back of his knock, RCB posted a total of 169 at the end of 20 overs. Shardul Thakur was the pick of CSK bowlers taking two crucial wickets.

Chasing a target of 170, CSK were off to a bad start with in-form openers Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis back in the pavilion without scoring much. CSK were once again guilty of leaving it too much too late as they have for many IPL matches this season. Ambati Rayudu was the highest scorer for CSK with a 42 runs knock off 40 balls. In the end, CSK could only manage to score 132 runs. Chris Morris who was on his comeback game was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets.

A lot needs to change for CSK if they want to qualify for the IPL Playoffs this season. And CSK Skipper MS Dhoni was quick to point it out: “Too many holes in the ship, batting the main worry”

My Ratings:

RCB- 9 / 10

CSK – 7 / 10

3.  Rajasthan Royals (RR) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH):

Batting first, SRH batsman Jonny Bairstow who was the hero in the last match was dismissed early without disturbing the scorers. A resilient 48 from SRH Skipper David Warner and a well made 54 from Manish Pandey set the base for a total of 158 runs after twenty overs. Jofra Archer was the most economical bowler for SRH also taking the crucial wicket of Warner.

Opening the batting for RR was their Star All-rounder Ben Stokes who was back after missing the previous matches. The move did not go according to the plan as he along with a couple of other top-order batsman were dismissed cheaply leaving RR struggling at 78-5. A strong performance from Rahul Tewatia and youngster Riyan Parag was enough as they remained not out to take their team home. Rashid Khan and Khaleel Ahmed picked up two wickets each.

This was a much-needed victory for RR to maintain a decent start to their season.

My Ratings:

SRH – 8 / 10

RR – 9 / 10

4. Mumbai Indians (MI) vs Delhi Capitals (DC):

The epic battle of the two most consistent team’s in IPL 2020. DC was without Rishabh Pant due to injury which provided a chance for Ajinkya Rahane. The start for DC wasn’t great as they lost Prithvi Shaw and Rahane cheaply but a strong partnership between Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer helped them get to 162. Dhawan was the highest scorer for DC with 69 runs. For MI, Krunal Pandya was the most successful bowler, claiming two wickets.

Chasing a target of 163 on a slowish wicket, MI lost captain Rohit Sharma early. Half-centuries from the next two batsmen at the crease, southpaw Quinton De Kock and Suryakumar Yadav put MI in a comfortable position. Ishan Kishan made a small yet crucial contribution before Kagiso Rabada dealt two quick blows to give a little scare to the MI fans.

However, it wasn’t enough as MI cruised to a comfortable victory to go at the top of the IPL standings.

My Ratings:

MI – 9 / 10

DC – 8 / 10