The mega final between Aussie legend Shane Warne’s Team Jaipur and the country’s coolest star M S Dhoni’s Team Chennai promises to break all records and become the biggest television spectacle in the history of Indian sport.

Just sample this—a staggering 99 million viewers have already watched the IPL matches between April 18 and May 24. Even as some commentators warned of an overdose, families continued to gather before their TV sets evening after evening and planned dinners over the weekends, setting the stage for the grand finale today.

With glamour, hype, cliffhangers, stars and controversies, T20 has already served up a full platter. There’s only one worry however—that the final too may turn out to be a tame affair like the two semifinals.

If Jaipur won by 105 runs on Friday night, Chennai had it even easier, winning by nine wickets. Mohali won the toss and, like Delhi on Friday, elected to bat. But even this proved to be disastrous as they lost wickets in virtually every early over.

Makhaya Ntini provided the early breakthrough and M S Gony lured the dangerous Sangakarra and Yuvraj Singh into fatal strokes. Mohali’s man in form, Shaun Marsh, then got cleaned out to leave Preity Zinta’s boys tottering at 34 for four by the sixth over.

Warne, Dhoni Cross Swords

Source: The Times of India, 1st June 2008

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