Kolkata Knight Riders attain glory for the second time in their IPL chronicle

KKR have been one of the most consistent sides in the history of the tournament and on this day two years back they defeated Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in the high-voltage encounter at Bangalore to inscribe their name with gold in the history of IPL.

Indian Premier League is one of the most prestigious tournaments across the globe and only two teams till date have managed to taste success on couple of occasions — Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). KKR have been one of the most consistent sides in the history of the tournament and on this day two years back they defeated Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in the high-voltage encounter at  Bangalore to inscribe their name with gold in the history of IPL. After six miserable outings in the past, KXIP made it to the final for their first time in their IPL chronicle. READ MORE: IPL 2016: Most memorable moments, Part II

Kings XI Punjab were red-hot favorites for this game as they’ve been in an insane form coming into this game. Glenn Maxwell and David Miller were firing with all guns and looked unstoppable along with a potent batting line up. The game had a dramatic climax as Piyush Chawla sealed it with a much-needed cameo in the end. READ MORE: IPL 2016: Top 10 bowling spells of the tournament

KKR won the toss and elected to field first on a surface which was conducive for batting and a paradise for every batsman. They backed their ability to chase which eventually paid off. On this big occasion, two unsung heroes from KXIP stepped up and steered their side to a colossal total. It was not a Maxwell-Miller show in the final as Manan Vohra and Wriddhiman Saha played with unmatched confidence under immense pressure and took on the KKR bowling attack right from the outset at Bangalore.

Saha scripted history as he became the first batsman to score a hundred in the final of the IPL. The duo stitched a humongous partnership of 129 runs from 12 overs and laid the platform for a massive score. Vohra smashed 67 from 52 deliveries whereas Saha remained unbeaten on 115 off just 55 deliveries which contained ten boundaries and eight massive sixes.

Saha’s ton ensured 199 runs on the board and set a huge target for KKR to hunt. KKR bowlers had a tough time on the field barring Shakib Al Hasan who was the pick of the bowlers. KKR got off to a horrible start as they suffered an early blow with Robin Uthappa walking back to the pavilion for a mere score of 5. Manish Pandey came out hard with all guns blazing and played a scintillating knock of 94 from just 50 deliveries to maneuver his side to a comfortable position.

Yusuf Pathan played a good hand of 36 from 22 deliveries but Karanveer Singh infliceted damage with some wickets. The match was evenly placed at the end of 16th overs, where KXIP needed 39 runs from 24 deliveries but the 17th over by  Karanveer produced 18 runs and saw the momentum shifting towards KKR. Chawla played an important cameo which ensured a thrilling victory in the final victory. Axar Patel had a great run with the ball and was economical in a run infested match. Pandey was adjudged as the Player of the Match as KKR lifthed the IPL trophy for the second time.