Top five innings in Indian Premier League finals
The Indian Premier League (IPL) offers some ground-breaking action in every season. Eventually, it all comes down to the grand finale for every team to lay hands on the prestigious silverware. The boundless pressure of finals preps up the players to run the extra mile through blistering performances. In this article, we take a look at the best knocks played in IPL finals.
In a high-voltage IPL final at M.Chinnaswamy, Kings XI Punjab racked up 199/4 after Kolkata Knight Riders put them into bat. Interestingly, Mitchell Johnson removed Robin Uthappa in the very first over. Manish Pandey added 53 runs with skipper Gautam Gambhir before the latter got dismissed. Pandey finished on 94(50), which included 6 sixes. Eventually, Piyush Chawla got KKR home in the final over.
Kieron Pollard has been a prized possession for Mumbai Indians ever since his IPL debut. He proved his worth yet again in the 2013 IPL final when MI were in trouble against the CSK bowling line-up. Batting first, MI were reduced to 100/5 after a top order failure. Pollard rescued them with a 32-ball 60. The Mumbai bowlers later restricted CSK to 125.
Rajasthan Royals carried the 'underdogs' tag right throughout the inaugural IPL edition. Notwithstanding, they defied all odds by clinching the title. Yusuf Pathan's 56 off 39 balls turned out to be the differential in the all-important final. He bolstered the frivolous run-chase with four sixes and three fours. Chasing 164, RR won the thriller in the final delivery.
Deccan Chargers reversed their plight in the second season after having a poor inaugural edition. Skipper Adam Gilchrist led the side to their maiden IPL title. However, he departed early on, in the final with RCB opting to bowl on a tricky Johannesburg track. Herschelle Gibbs (53*) stood out for them, guiding DC to 143/6. RCB fell short by 6 runs at the end.
In 2018, Shane Watson played one of the greatest innings of an IPL final. The Dhoni-led CSK were given a target of 179 by SRH. While Faf du Plessis was dismissed in the fourth over, Watson couldn't time the ball at all. Having gained the touch gradually, Watson single-handedly swept the entire match. His 57-ball 117 was studded with 8 sixes and 11 fours.
