 | « Back to article | Print this article |
IPL: It ain't over till it's over!
A match, it is said, is not decided till the last ball is bowled.
The second season of the Indian Premier League has provided ample instances of fortunes fluctuating till the end.
Just when you think one team has it all wrapped up, the other team bounces back and steals victory.
The best example of this was the match between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders, which was won by the former, courtesy the Super Over after the match ended in a tie.
Also, who can forget Rohit Sharma resurrecting Deccan Chargers by smashing the required 21 runs off the final over against Kolkata Knight Riders.
A look at the some of the closely-contested matches in the tournament thus far:
Statistics: Rajneesh Gupta
Yusuf Pathan's super show in Super Over
(10th match, April 23, 2009: Rajasthan Royals beat Kolkata Knight Riders via the Super Over.)
Sourav Ganguly (46 from 30 deliveries) all but took his team to victory. His dismissal off the penultimate delivery saw the match end up in a tie.
The Super Over eliminator was used for the first time in the IPL. Both teams got one over each to win the contest.
Rajasthan left-armer Kamran Khan, who kept Kolkata down to six in the final over of the match, was smashed for 15 in the Super Over.
Then the Kolkata side made a big tactical error when they handed spinner Ajantha Mendis the ball to bowl the Super Over to Yusuf Pathan. It took Pathan just four deliveries to win the match. With two sixes and a boundary he sealed victory.
Yuvraj's 'trick' earns Punjab victory
(49th match, May 17, 2009: Kings XI Punjab beat Deccan Chargers by one run.)
Yuvraj Singh bagged his second hat-trick of the tournament and it seemed Punjab were heading for an easy victory with 43 needed from the last three overs.
But Rohit Sharma engineered a huge turnaround single-handedly. He smashed two sixes off Wilkin Mota to amass 18 from the 18th over and then followed it up with 14 runs from Brett Lee's next over.
With 11 needed from the last over, Sharma struck a boundary off the second delivery from Irfan Pathan. But the left-arm pacer kept his cool and struck immediately with the big wicket of the rampaging Sharma, who smashed 42 from just 26 deliveries.
It was a cliff-hanger till the very last ball with Deccan Chargers needing just four, but Ryan Harris could muster just two and Punjab escaped with a one-run victory.
Mumbai choke at the crunch
(45th match, May 14, 2009: Rajasthan Royals beat Mumbai Indians by two runs.)
The defeat will keep coming back to haunt Mumbai Indians.
Needing just four from the last over, with three wickets in hand, it was a match Mumbai were expected to win. All they needed was one delivery to finish it off; but, unbelievably, Mumbai self-destructed!
Munaf Patel came up with one of the best overs he has ever bowled, taking two wickets and conceding just one run. Lasith Malinga was run-out off the penultimate delivery and Mumbai ended up losing by two runs.
Abdulla takes Punjab past Mumbai
(20th match, April 29, 2009: Kings XI Punjab beat Mumbai Indians by three runs.)
Left-armer Yusuf Abdulla held his nerve quite well in the final over to guide Kings XI Punjab to a narrow three-run victory over Mumbai Indians.
JP Duminy held Mumbai's hopes, as they needed 12 off the final over. But it proved a task too big even for him. The left-hander scored 59 from 63 deliveries before smashing one straight to the midwicket fielder. Mumbai, needing seven from three deliveries, failed to overhaul the target.
Kumble turns it Bangalore's way
(24th match, May 1, 2009: Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Kings XI Punjab by eight runs.)
Anil Kumble led from the front with the ball to guide Bangalore to an eight-run victory. Punjab were in with a chance, needing 17 from the last two overs. But Kumble turned the match around by conceding just four runs and taking the key wicket of Kumar Sangakkara in the 19th over of the innings.
Praveen Kumar followed it up with a good final over that included two wickets in two deliveries as Bangalore emerged triumphant.
Delhi win thriller against Chennai
(9th match, April 23, 2009: Delhi Daredevils beat Chennai Super Kings by nine runs.)
Matthew Hayden stroked a quickfire 57 from just 27 deliveries and Suresh Raina smashed 41 from the same number of deliveries as Chennai went down fighting, chasing a mammoth 190 for victory.
In the end, it came down to 24 from 12 deliveries, but Daniel Vettori took two wickets in the penultimate over, while giving away just nine runs. Dirk Nannes also struck with two wickets in the final over to help restrict Chennai to 180 for nine in their 20 overs.
Malinga too hot to handle
(23rd match, May 1, 2009: Mumbai Indians beat Kolkata Knight Riders by nine runs.)
Brad Hodge kept Kolkata in the hunt with a blazing half-century till he hit a roadblock in the form of Lasith Malinga in the 19th over.
With 23 needed from 12 deliveries and Hogg smashing everything in his path, Malinga came up with a series of yorkers to turn the match by conceding just three runs. The frustration kept building and Hodge, attempting a quick single off the last delivery, was run-out for 73.
Kolkata could score just 11 in the last over and lost the contest by nine runs.
Taylor-made win for Bangalore
(44th match, May 14, 2009: Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Chennai Super Kings by two wickets.)
Ross Taylor showed great composure in the closing stages with a 50-ball 46 to help Bangalore win by two wickets.
With five needed from six deliveries, Jacob Oram gave Chennai hope by scalping the wicket of Taylor with the first delivery. But Vinay Kumar, somehow, managed a boundary off the fourth delivery of the final over as Bangalore emerged triumphant with two deliveries to spare.
Yusuf powers Rajasthan again
(25th match, May 2, 2009: Rajasthan Royals beat Deccan Chargers by three wickets.)
It seemed strange when Yusuf Pathan was demoted to number eight. But it turned out to be a masterstroke by Shane Warne.
Pathan slammed 24 from just 14 deliveries, including two sixes and two boundaries, to take the match away from Deccan Chargers in the space of just a couple of overs.
Abhishek Raut held his cool with a composed knock of 36 from 23 deliveries as Rajasthan won by three wickets, with two deliveries to spare.
Jayawardene's cameo clinches it for Punjab
(36th match, May 9, 2009: Kings XI Punjab beat Deccan Chargers by three wickets.)
Deccan Chargers were in control for most part of the match till Mahela Jayawardene changed its course with late hitting.
With 45 needed from the last four overs, Jayawardene hit T Suman for consecutive sixes to bring Punjab back in the contest.
Even though Jayawardene fell for a quick 43 from 28 deliveries, Brett Lee and Piyush Chawla ensured there was no late drama as Punjab won off the penultimate ball.
Pathan blast rocks Delhi
(18th match, April 28, 2009: Rajasthan Royals beat Delhi Daredevils by five wickets.)
The Delhi bowlers bore the brunt of Yusuf Pathan's big hitting as the India all-rounder came up with an extra-ordinary batting display.
Pathan blazed his way to 62 from just 30 deliveries, including six huge sixes and two boundaries, as Rajasthan beat Delhi by five wickets.
When Pathan stepped in to take strike, Rajasthan needed 80 from the last nine overs, but his blitzkrieg saw the team overhaul the target with nine deliveries to spare.
Bangalore score last-gasp win
(19th match, April 29, 2009: Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Kolkata Knight Riders by five wickets.)
The game was delicately poised, with 10 needed from the final over. Mark Boucher drew on all his experience as he smashed two boundaries to help Bangalore sneak home by five wickets, with just one delivery to spare.
The Bangalore wicketkeeper finished unbeaten on 25 from 13 deliveries as Kolkata's decision to give off-spinner Chris Gayle the final over backfired.
Deccan Chargers ride on Rohit magic
(48th match, May 16, 2009: Deccan Chargers beat Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets.)
It was a debut Mashrafe Mortaza would like to forget quickly.
The Bangladesh pacer cooled his heels for the most part of the tournament even as his team tried everyone in the squad. But when his time came he failed to deliver.
Deccan Chargers needed 21 from the final over and there was no doubt about Kolkata winning this one. But Mortaza's nerves gave way. He started with a no-ball that was dispatched to the fence by Rohit Sharma, who went on to smash two more sixes as Deccan Chargers clinched victory off the final delivery of the match.