IPl 7’s top two teams fight it out for title in Bangalore today
The seventh season of Indian Premier league stands at a juncture that fittingly suits its stature in the world of league cricket. The two teams which stood out throughout the seven-week long tournament — Kings XI Punjab for their batting might and Kolkata Knight Riders for their resilience — are going to fight for the IPl 2014 title at the Chinnaswamy stadium here on Sunday.
Can it get betterIJ Well, that's quite possible considering the quality of cricket the two teams have produced so far to put themselves in such a good position where KXIP have a chance to win their maiden title while KKR can add another silverware to their cabinet. If KKR is able to do so, they will only be the second team to repeat as IPl champios.
KXIP and KKR have had quite a contrasting but similarly successful campaign so far. While Punjab dominated the first half of the tournament to secure their place in the top four, Kolkata struggled pretty badly in the initial phase but turned things around magically towards the last lap winning eight consecutive matches. To put it precisely, the two finalists are completely different yet equally combative sides.
Punjab mostly benefitted from Glenn Maxwell's purple patch but Virender Sehwag's simply majestic knock (122) in the Qualifier 2 against Chennai Super Kings on Friday, which gave KXIP their first shot at the title, was a reminder for the opposition that it's not all about just one batsman. There is much more to their batting than Maxwell. David Miller, George Bailey and Manan Vohra all play in the similar gear. It's this quality that helped KXIP annihilate CSK, the most consistent side in IPl history, on all the three occasions this IPl scoring over 200 on each occasion.
In Kolkata, though, they will meet the strongest bowling line-up of the tournament. Sunil Narine, the latest to get embroiled in the country versus club debate, is the leader this pack. He has bowled in various situations and invariably delivered every single time. Narine hasn't just been effective in containing the batsmen but also providing wickets.
Narine also has an efficient support cast around him that helps keep the pressure lid on. Morne Morkel, Umesh Yadav, Shakib Al Hasan and Piyush Chawla - all of them are gifted individuals. They don't just sit back and wait for Narine to come and rescue the team. They all have had fair share of success.
KKR's batting that hugely relies on Orange Cap holder Robin Uthappa is comparatively weak. Even though captain Gautam Gambhir, Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan and Shakib have played a few useful knocks between them, it's their bowling unit that has successfully prevented oppositions, including big-hitting KXIP, from posting an uncomfortable total or chasing a below par target.
The continuity that they have managed to maintain has also helped KKR. They have largely refrained from tinkering with the winning combination, even if that meant keeping Jacques Kallis on the bench. It's is sign of their self-belief and courage. Uthappa's phenomenal run of good scores - record 10 successive scores of 40 or more - has lent KKR's batting confidence while bowlers have ensured that all the overs were bowled by regular bowlers.
Punjab have lost twice in three matches, including Qualifier 1, against Kolkata this season and it may play on their minds on Sunday. While Kolkata have the precious experience of playing in the final and winning it, the grand occasion may make Punjab's young and inexperienced players nervous. Well, it can also work as a motivator. So, which side the camel decides to sit will only be knownon Sunday night.