After seeing how Saha and Vohra tore apart the strong bowling unit, Kolkata Knight Riders felt down but not out. In fact they thought if Kings XI can score against good bowling, then we have the batsmen to score against average bowling on the batting track at Bangalore. Their Orange Cap holder Uthappa failed after 10 consecutive innings, Gambhir hit few good runs, but it was Manish Pandey whose blistering 94 runs gave them their 4th score of 200 runs, and second IPL title. With the tournament seeing many big chases, a winning chase of 200 runs was the apt end.
Awards
- Player of the Match: Manish Pandey
Winner: Kolkata Knight Riders (Rs 15 crore)
Runners up: Kings XI (Rs 10 crore)
Fair Play Award: CSK (Their 4th win)
Rs 10 lacs awards:
Catch of the Season: Kieron Pollard (MI)
Maximum Season Sixes Award: Glenn Maxwell (36 sixes)
Emerging Player Award: Akshar Patel (17 wickets at 6.13 economy, one half century)
Orange Cap: Robin Uthappa (666 runs in 16 innings)
Purple Cap: Mohit Sharma (23 wickets, Avg. 19.65 in 16 innings)
Most Valuable Player Award: Maxwell (KXIP)
KKR has now won second title in three semifinals attempts. So far it appeared CSK is the best team. Now to see that a team wins 2 in 3 semifinal entry, it appears CSKs achievement of winning 2 in 7 semifinal entries is not such a big achievement. Overall Kings XI made an exceptional start to the final scoring 199 runs. But probably they fell short as unlike on other occasions, they failed to touch 200 run mark. Or may be the way KKR played, today they could have chased any total.
Manish Pandey Scores 94 and KKR Get 200 Runs
Chasing 200 runs, the star KKR batsman Uthappa failed in the first over, first time after 10 innings when he did not score 40 runs. Gambhir gave a good start scoring 17-ball 23 runs. From there the counterattack started. Manish Pandey (50-ball 94 runs 7 4s 6 6s) and Yusuf Pathan (22-ball 36 runs with 4 6s) added 71 runs in 7.2 overs for 3rd wicket. Pathan’s wicket did not slow down the chase. In next 2 overs Pandey added 26 runs with Shakib (7-ball 12 runs), and then 12 runs with Doeschate (4 runs) in one over. When at the end of 17th over a cramped Pandey was caught the score read 179/6. From there KKR needed only 21 runs in 18 balls. Piyush Chawla took the baton and scored 5-ball 13 runs to take the team to victory with 3 balls remaining.
Akshar Patel (0/21) was the star bowler of the match, better than Shakib, Chawla, and even Narine. But other four bowlers just could not control at all. Karanveer Singh had 4 wickets but gave away 54 runs. Johnson had 2 but gave 41 runs. Balaji had 0/41 and Awana needed only 3.3 overs to give 43 runs without wicket. With so many leaking runs together, Akshar alone could not have saved 200 runs.
Kings XI may regret leaving Sandeep Sharma for the final who has earned three Player of the Match awards. Why would they choose Awana!! May be next time they could go a step forward.
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