Gautam Gambhir and Kolkata win their second IPL

Kolkata Knight Riders it is, the Pepsi Indian Premier League season 7 champions beating KXIP by 3 wickets. Gautam Gambhir, Shah rukh Khan whose do you term this team to be off. It was the most looked to team one Kolkata is such a city the best fans one could find, two SRK being the team owner got them so much talk about, three Gautam Gambhir since his entry in the franchise has transformed it completely. The celebrations have begun in Bangalore will carry on till they tire down in Kolkata moment to cherish for the Knights.

They were almost written off after they had a bad start to the campaign. Rising out of nowhere, defeating all odds and the best of the teams is how KKR got into the finals. All players had their moments, right from Gambhir to Uthappa, Sunil Narine, Yusuf Pathan and Manish Pandey the star of the final.

Uthappa rose and rose like never before redefined his and KKR’s batting all together. Went on to become the Orange cap holder and once he wore the cap ensured it did not switch heads. 660 runs in 16 games for him and it is a well deserved trophy for him.

It was the big occasion, biggest, brightest night of them all. The match swung both ways like a Bhuvneshwar Kumar delivery. After that stupendous knock from Wriddhiman Saha taking KXIP to 199 one gave them a better chance. Manish Pandey the first Indian to score an IPL hundred played a flier on the final night as well took his team on verges of a win. Yet it was so close yet so far for the Kings coming all the way to the final for the first time being the best team in the tournament.

But, IPL and T20 is so mean, it changes in moments, the ball Michel Johnson got hit for a six. It was Piyush Chawla the no. 9 on strike they needed 11 to win in 7 and you thought he would duck around. Anti climax happened, attacked the rising delivery, took it head on and out she went for a six. Match defining moment it proved to be once Pandey was out wickets started to tumble and runs dried up. Chawla struck a four in the 3^rd ball of the final over to make them two-time champs.

Earlier one saw Gambhir win the toss and invite KXIP to bat showing ultimate confidence on his bowlers and comfort KXIP have chasing. Saha’s 49 ball 100 and 115* which witnessed him hit 10 x 4’s and 8 maximums in the end with hundred run plus stand with Mannan Vohra who played a well crafted knock of 67 off 52 balls. 200 looked a defend-able score looking at the bowlers KXIP had.

A poor start for KKR with their and tournament’s most consistent batsman Uthappa falling early for just 5 runs. Gambhir hit a few crisp cover drives and cuts but his stay lasted for 17 delivers and 23 runs only. Since then it was one man the rather unreliable and unexpected Manish Pandey. The way he timed the ball was a treat to watch, miss hits landed in no man’s land indicating it was his day, just falling short of a deserved hundred. The first Indian to hit an IPL century still did it for his team before finally getting out with KKR on the door steps at 179.

It was just a matter of a couple of big blows thereafter and it came out of Piyush Chawla’s bat. Not taking anything away from the Kings XI Punjab they never let the match and situation go out of hand. Whenever it seemed KKR might run away with the match either they tied the batsmen up with some quality slow bowling forcing them to hit false shots and created opportunities.

Akshar Patel what a season this boy has had, pick of the bowlers for KXIP, he was exceptional even today though they lost the game. He only gained more reputation 4 over’s 21 runs economy under 6, his partner Karanveer had a better game as far as wickets are concerned picking 3-54 in his 4.

All said and done KKR are the champions their second IPL and they become the second team after CSK to repeat the feat. Man of the Match was Manish Pandey no prizes for guessing this one.

Brief Score:

Kings XI Punjab 199 for 4 (Saha 115*, Vohra 67)

Lose to Kolkata Knight Riders 200 for 7 (Pandey 94, Karanveer 4-54) by 3 wickets in 19.3 overs.

The golden trophy went to the KKR obviously other winners were:

Fair Play Award – Chennai Super Kings

Orange Cap- Robin Uthappa (660 runs) KKR

Purple Cap- Mohit Sharma (23 wickets) CSK

Most Valuable Player- Glen Maxwell (552 runs) KXIP