IPL Rewind – 2014: Kolkata Knight Riders come up trumps, once again!
After scripting history and clinching their maiden IPL trophy in the 2012 edition, Gautam Gambhir and his men, in 2014, added the second title in their silverware cabinet. KKR had a fresh start in the 2014 edition as they stepped into the auction after retaining only two players– skipper Gambhir and spinner Sunil Narine.
The Kolkata army bought back stalwarts like Jacques Kallis, Yusuf Pathan and Shakib Al Hasan; and bolstered their squad with new faces including Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Chris Lynn, Piyush Chawla and Umesh Yadav. A reinforced KKR side went on to deliver in the 2014 edition, denying Kings XI Punjab from winning their maiden IPL trophy in the final.
Conquering the league stage
KKR registered a good start as they defeated a dominant Mumbai Indians side in the opening encounter on the UAE soil. However, they won the only game out of their next four matches, putting their fans in worry in the league stages. Their poor run of form continued in India too as they lost two more matches after the IPL extravaganza shifted back.
However, that wasn’t the end for KKR. The world witnessed a miracle as they registered a winning streak in their next seven games. Robin Uthappa and Sunil Narine delivered in their respective departments as KKR finished second in the points table behind KXIP. In their last league encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad, it was Yusuf Pathan who stole the show by smashing a record-breaking half-century off just 15 deliveries.
Storming into the final
#OnThisDay in 2014, we were crowned ? #IPL CHAMPIONS?
▪️9 wins on the trot ✅
▪️2nd ? in the bag ✅
▪️1 Team… Unlimited Memories ?#KKR #Champions @GautamGambhir @jacqueskallis75 @SunilPNarine74 @im_manishpandey @robbieuthappa @lynny50 @rtendo27 @y_umesh @Bisla36 #IPL2014 pic.twitter.com/YZwP45VEt7— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) June 1, 2020
Gambhir and Co played the first Qualifier at their home Eden Gardens and cruised into the final as they toppled KXIP by 28 runs. They again met the Punjab franchise in the final at Chinnaswamy but the result stayed the same. In a thrilling chase, KKR hunted down a mammoth 200 to clinch their second IPL title in three years. The City of Joy erupted yet again as KKR had again proved their calibre.
Kings XI Punjab, after being put to bat first, posted a challenging 199-run total on the back of Manan Vohra and Wriddhiman Saha (115). Piyush Chawla emerged as KKR’s most successful bowler on that day as he plucked two wickets in his spell.
It was an arduous task for KKR to chase the 200-run target but local boy Manish Pandey ensured that KKR crossed the finishing line. He scored an unbeaten 94, diffusing Wriddhiman Saha’s century in the first innings, as KKR made Kolkata’s victory celebrations jam with ‘Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo’ chants. Uthappa’s 660 runs and Sunil Narine’s 21 wickets played an integral role in KKR’s heist for their second IPL trophy.
