DHAKA: All eyes of Bangladeshi cricket fans will be on Bangladeshi all-rounder Sahkib al Hassan and his team that is set to face Kings XI Punjab in the Grand Finale of Pepsi IPL 2014.
After 47 days of grueling and competitive cricket, the two teams will start their battle at 8:30pm (Bangladesh Time) to lay their hands on the coveted IPL Trophy and for the winner’s purse.
iplt20.com, in its latest report, says, it has been a spectacular turnaround for the Kolkata Knight Riders, who managed just two wins from the five matches they played in the UAE leg of Pepsi IPL 2014. Things looked gloomier for Gautam Gambhir’s team when they lost their first two matches after the tournament returned to Indian shores. But since then, they not only forced their way into the Playoffs on the back of seven consecutive wins, but also sailed through to the title clash by defeating table-toppers Kings XI Punjab in the first of the Playoff matches.
In an interview with IPLT20.com, Gambhir said, “I feel that the biggest plus and the biggest game changers have been someone like Shakib Al Hasan, who has played two unbelievable innings, the way he performed in the last game.”
He also said: “People keep talking about Sunil a lot, but if you see the kind of spells that Shakib has bowled in this tournament, I think Shakib has been a real game changer from the bowling and batting point of view.”
Kings XI Punjab have been the best team so far this season; they finished the league season with the most wins and were the first team to seal a place in the Playoffs. A defeat at the hands of KKR in Qualifier 1 meant KXIP had to overcome a second hurdle – in form of the Chennai Super Kings – in Qualifier 2, which they did in style. After being put in to bat, KXIP – riding on the back of a magnificent century by Virender Sehwag – posted 226 runs on the board, and then held their nerves to restrict their opponents to 202. 
Tournament finals are meant to be contests between the two best teams – and that is certainly the case where Pepsi IPL 2014 is concerned.
When
Sunday, June 1, 2014, 8 pm IST
Where
M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
The Protagonists
In high-stakes matches like this one, the pressure will be on the men in form to deliver the goods. Robin Uthappa has had a dream run since the tournament has returned to India. Everything about him has been impressive; he has shown the inclination to play the long innings, and is reaping the rewards of playing with the right technique and using orthodox methods to score runs. The 28-year-old –likely to finish with the Orange Cap as a reward for his efforts through the season – has scored at least 40 in each of his last 10 innings; KKR will be well served if he can get one more such knock in Bengaluru.
Gautam Gambhir is another important player in the KKR scheme of things; apart from runs at the top, Gambhir’s decision-making skills too need to be spot on. On the bowling front, one doesn’t need to look beyond Sunil Narine, who would walk into any World XI where Twenty20 cricket is concerned.
All eyes will be on Virender Sehwag after the damage he caused (and the joy he brought to the spectators) at Wankhede Stadium on Friday. Speaking to IPLT20.com after that match-winning knock, the 35-year-old said that he was yet to play his best cricket and sounded a warning that he was hoping to deliver his marquee performance in Bangalore.
KXIP will rest their hopes on Glenn Maxwell and David Miller (who were at the forefront of the team’s charge at the start of the season) too. On the bowling front, KXIP will pin their hopes on Sandeep Sharma and Mitchell Johnson, and hope the pair can push their opponents on the back foot from ball-one.
Notes from previous match
Kolkata Knight Riders v Kings XI Punjab: Three of the top four batsmen got off to starts, yet Robin Uthappa’s 42 was the highest score in KKR’s innings. That indicates none of the top-order batsmen carried on to bat long – a pattern that has become synonymous with KKR’s success this season. That is an area that KKR can certainly improve upon. The KKR innings lacked urgency in the middle overs; the team added only 57 runs (and their batsmen played out 24 dot-balls) in the middle period of play – and that is another area they could improve upon. The way the bowlers controlled the middle period of the KXIP innings was impressive; despite the presence of dangerous strikers like Glenn Maxwell, David Miller and George Bailey, KXIP could only find the boundary thrice in the middle period.
Kings XI Punjab v Chennai Super Kings: It wouldn’t be wrong to say the match was set up for KXIP by Virender Sehwag’s blistering century. Once KXIP had the runs on the board, CSK were always going to play catch up. When it was their turn to defend, the intensity shown by the fielders despite having a mountain of runs on the board deserves a pat on the back. The bowlers came in for plenty of stick and that is an area in which KXIP will want to do better. The three frontline seamers – Mitchell Johnson, Sandeep Sharma and Parvinder Awana – lacked discipline, generally bowled fuller lengths and cost the team 135 runs in 11 overs.
Previous Meetings
The Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab have so far clashed 14 times in the IPL and the former have an edge with 8 wins.
The story is somewhat similar in the three meetings between the two teams this season. While KXIP won the first contest between the two teams in Abu Dhabi, KKR came back strongly to win in Cuttack. KKR got the better of KXIP for the second time this season when they won the first of the Playoff matches and sailed through to the Final.
Trivia
No team that has topped the table at the end of the league stage has gone on to win the IPL title since the Rajasthan Royals did it in the inaugural season, in 2008.
Kings XI Punjab have the most successful bowling attack this season; they’ve picked up more wickets than any other team – 106.
Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab share the record for the longest run of consecutive wins in the IPL. KXIP’s 8 consecutive wins comprised winning their last three league matches of Pepsi IPL 2013 and their first five matches of Pepsi IPL 2014. KKR, meanwhile, have won their most recent 8 matches and have the chance to extend that run.
Gautam Gambhir is the second-most experienced captain in Twenty20 cricket; he has been captain in 95 T20 matches.
Kolkata Knight Riders have the most successful spin bowling attack in Pepsi IPL 2014; they have realized 43 wickets from their spinners.
What Next
Curtains will be drawn on Pepsi IPL 2014. The top four teams – namely Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians – will regroup in a few months time to prepare for the Champions League T20 2014.
**Battle for IPL title at 8:30pm
BDST: 1634 HRS, June 1, 2014
