Kolkata Knight Riders win maiden IPL title
Maiden IPL win for Kolkata Knight Riders
Riding on the blistering half-centuries from Manvinder Bisla and Jacques Kallis Kolkata Knight Riders defeated the two-time defending Champions Chennai Super Kings to clinch their maiden IPL title in a lip-smacking summit clash at MA Chidambaram stadium on Sunday.
Bisla (89 off 48 balls) and Jacques Kallis (69 off 49) shared a 136-run stand for the third wicket as Kolkata chased-down the monstrous 192-run target with two balls to spare.
Kolkata got $2 million for the win while runners-up Chennai bagged $1.5 million.
Kolkata needed nine runs to win off the last over bowled by seamer Dwayne Bravo, but Manoj Tiwary (nine not out) lashed the third and fourth deliveries for boundaries to trigger the celebrates in his Kolkata’s camp.
“Mission accomplished,” said Kolkata skipper Gautam Gambhir. “Chasing 191 against the defending champions in their backyard shows the character of Bisla. It proves a captain is only as good as his team
Kolkata’s chase began on a negative note as they opener Gambhir fell to Australia paceman Ben Hilfenhaus but Bisla and Kallis soon recovered the innings by playing sparkling shots all across the ground.
Bisla reached his half-century in just 27 balls as, Kolkata amassed runs by the first ten overs.
Bisla-Kallis association was guiding Kolkata towards a comfortable chase but the dismissal of Bisla, whose knock was studded with five boundaries and five maximums, caused as Laxmi Shukla (3) and Yusuf Pathan (1) fell in successive overs.
But Kallis ensured that Kolkata didn’t lose momentum. He eventually bowled out brilliant vigil’s ended on the penultimate delivery of the 19th over, He hit seven boundaries and a six.
Earlier, Murali Vijay (42 off 32) and Michael Hussey (54 off 43) laid the foundations of a big Chennai total by sharing 87 runs in 10 overs. After Vijay’s dismissal , Hussey and Raina (72 off 38) shared another 73 for the second wicket.
Raina galloped to his half-century off just 27 balls before falling off the last ball of the innings.
