Watch: the fastest IPL fifty, Yusuf murdering SRH for a 15 ball fifty

Kolkata Knight Riders had a target if 160 to chase and by virtues of the win Chennai Super Kings had over Royal Challengers Bangalore by 8 wickets they needed to chase it in 15.2 over’s. MS Dhoni and Faf DuPlesis nullified any challenge the 154 runs posted by RCB could be to them by chasing it down in 17.4 with 8 wickets in hand.

Kolkata were strangling at 77 for 3 in 9.2 over’s requiring another 83 in 6. That was when Yusuf Pathan took over from the in-form and at his best consistency Robin Uthappa falling quite early this time. There was an uphill task at hand and though everyone knew Yusuf could do it. His form remaining a concern though once he was in, with his bat he changed it all.

A touch of luck that supported him to be dropped on not by Aniruddh Shrikant and then on 15 both looked to be straight forward chances. KKR were in to pull off a blinder it was either a win 15.2 over’s or they did not mind conceding the match to SRH. After the second chance Yusuf did not play a false shot, once the ball touched the bat it went only to one place right into the stands.

Every bowler was mauled but one cannot forget the destructive over Dayle Steyn’s proved to be a 4, 6, 6,4,4,2 and 26 runs came off that one. Most runs conceded by Steyn in an over and Yusuf reached to the fastest IPL fifty in 15balls. He did not stop there and the 22 balls stay he had at the crease scored 72 runs at a thundering strike rate of above 300.

By the time he departed the job was almost done and a single by S Yadav, KKR won the match in 14.2 over’s an over before when they were actually supposed to. One simply does not get to see such knocks unless someone like a Yusuf Pathan decides to go for the kill.(Check points table here)

Team mates, opponents, commentators’ and more than anybody the fans the dedicated Kolkata crowd had every reason to scream their throats off and they did the decibel levels crossing every limit as the home team scripted a historic win. Thus KKR ending the league stage at no. 2 and will get two go’s for a final spot. KXIP stay at the top with a match to play and CSK at number 3 and the winner of RR and MI to play CSK in the playoff’s.