On this day in 2014: Kolkata Knight Riders win their second IPL beating KXIP
For any team in the IPL, winning the trophy is the ultimate goal. Some teams have been quite unlucky in this regard with no title in thirteen years, while some have won the trophy multiple times. Kolkata Knight Riders who first became IPL champions in 2012 won their second title on this day in 2014.
That night began spectacularly for Wridhimann Saha, who completed his century off 49 balls, hitting a six off Sunil Narine. Saha scored his first century in the IPL career. Narine took one wicket for 46 runs in his four overs. In the final over which Umesh Yadav bowled, Saha smashed 12 runs, and after 20 overs, Punjab’s score was 199 runs for the loss of four wickets.
In response, KKR suffered a big loss in the form of the wicket of reliable Robin Uthappa as the innings started. He got out to Mitchell Johnson and was caught by Axar Patel in the very first over. After this, captain Gautam Gambhir and Manish Pandey pushed the innings with patience and maintained a run rate of 10 runs per over. At the end of the power play, KKR had scored 59 runs at the loss of 1 wicket.
KKR suffered a major setback in the form of Gautam Gambhir (23) in the seventh over. Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan, however, carried the innings forward. At the end of ten overs, both of them pushed the team score to 89. Pandey completed his 50 runs in the eleventh over with a six off Awana. In the same over, 100 runs for KKR were completed. At the end of the 13th over, the team score was 128 runs at the loss of 2 wickets. Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan were at the crease at that time.
Shortly afterwards Pathan’s innings came to an end when Maxwell caught him off the ball of Karanvir. Pathan played quick and good innings of 36 off 22 balls. Now Shakib Al Hasan came to support Pandey, and at the end of 15 overs, the score was 151 runs at the loss of 3 wickets.
KKR needed 49 runs to win from the last 30 balls and the match was at a very exciting juncture. Shakib was run out in the 16th over, but 10 runs were also scored in that over, and there was a need for 39 runs in 4 overs. The next batsman Ryan Ten Doeschate (4) was dismissed by Karnavir. Manish Pandey (94) was also dismissed on the last ball of the 17th over in which 18 runs were scored.
The match then became very exciting, with KKR requiring 21 runs in the last three overs, two new batsmen at the crease were Suryakumar Yadav and Piyush Chawla. In the next over, Axar Patel bowled well giving only 6 runs. Mitchell Johnson, who came to bowl the crucial 19th over, and took the wicket of Suryakumar Yadav.
There was a new energy in the Punjab camp as all the established batsmen of KKR were out. However, with 11 runs required off 7 balls, Piyush Chawla managed to win the game for KKR with three balls remaining, hitting a six and four each.
