(ESPNCricinfo) – PRIOR to the start of the IPL, Kings XI Punjab captain R Ashwin promised unpredictability. One of those unpredictable decisions was bringing in Chris Gayle against a team he has struggled against, despite having three other openers in the team. That move paid rich dividends immediately: Gayle hammered a 33-ball 63, Kings XI blazed a 75-run Powerplay and a total of 197 proved four runs beyond Chennai Super Kings in their third final-over finish this season.

Early in Super Kings’ chase, a steady approach had left them with 67 runs to get off the final four overs. But that strategy also meant they conserved resources for later, including MS Dhoni himself. Despite a stiff back, Dhoni turned back the clock to when he executed chases by putting himself in a head-to-head position with the bowler. Against Kings XI, it seemed like that scenario would never come. He was on 33 off 28 balls, with Super Kings requiring 65 off 21 balls. And then he began another assault, albeit a forced move, not a calculated one.

Dhoni hit three fours and three sixes from that position, and took Kings XI’s death-overs specialist Andrew Tye for 19 runs off the penultimate over. That left Super Kings with 17 to get off the final over, the same equation they successfully achieved in their last game against Kolkata Knight Riders. Super Kings were satisfied with a single off the first ball off the final over because it left Dhoni with his preferred one-on-one battle, against Mohit Sharma. Eventually, three well-executed wide yorkers meant Dhoni lost, narrowly.