What a turnaround it was. A team after losing five out of first seven matches, went on to win next nine out of nine to win the title. It’s nothing short of a miracle.
Kolkata Knight Riders, undeterred by the all-round criticism, kept their faith in the personnel at disposal. And, the players in turn summoned all their abilities to fight for the team’s cause. It was a classical case of all horses pulling the carriage in the same direction. They didn’t start the tournament well but brick by brick they built themselves in such a formidable unit that even Kings XI Punjab, who emerged as the most destructive batting side of the 2014 season, couldn’t stop them from winning their second title in three years.
The credit should go to skipper Gautam Gambhir, whose commitment towards his team reminded of Rahul Dravid, for standing by the players in worst of times and extracting every ounce of talent in them.
In that ever-supporting environment, Robin Uthappa was the first to raise his game and started providing a consistent start at the top which meant that their bowlers, KKR’s strength from the start of the season, had a total to fight for. His unprecedented run of 10 consecutive 40-plus scores earned him the Orange Cap for scoring most runs in the tournament out-classing early starters like Glenn Maxwell and Dwayne Smith by over 100 runs. With him Gambhir too shook off the misery that plagued him at the start of the tournament and the journey to ultimate glory began.
“Where we were after first seven games, not many people thought we would be here. Boys absorbed a lot of pressure, a lot of credit needs to go to the team,” said Gambhir after the match on Sunday night.
In the final match, their bowlers conceded 199 in 20 overs for the first time in the tournament. Of those 199, 141 came in the last 10 overs. The second-half onslaught certainly shifted momentum towards the Kings XI Punjab and put pressure on the KKR. But they didn’t show it during the chase which was clinical until the minor wobble towards the end.
“It was a little disappointing, giving 140-odd in 10 overs with the bowling attack we have. But we always had the belief going into the dressing room that 200 on this ground, and on that kind of pitch, would not be impossible. If we could get the target down to 50 or 60 needed from five overs with wickets in hand, we would definitely chase it down,” Gambhir said.
Gambhir and Uthappa both failed to deliver in the final match but Kolkata was on a winning streak and brimming with confidence that comes with success. If Yusuf Pathan catapulted KKR to the top -2 with a special inning the last league match, Manish Pandey stepped forward to guide the chase in the final with a brilliant 95-run knock.
“The turning point in this tournament would be Yusuf’s knock, 72 off 22 balls,” said Gambhir of Yusuf, who also earned praise for his 22-ball 36 in the final.
“It took us to second position and gave us two cracks at the cup. Also Manish’s batting today, under pressure, in a final. When we picked Manish, we had a lot of faith and trust in him. He’s delivered when it mattered the most. Not many franchises would have continued with him because he had struggled in the last couple of games. But we always felt he had the talent and fearlessness to go out and play this kind of an innings,” he added.
In Gambhir’s opinion, the support staff needs to be equally praised for the team’s success. “Normally, the support staff don’t get a lot of credit. It’s always the players. They’ve been brilliant. They’ve given everyone a lot of freedom to go out there and express themselves, and that’s what good coaching is all about,” he said
“It’s been fabulous working with Trevor Bayliss, Wasim Akram and especially Vijay Dahiya. He was my first captain when I made my Ranji debut (for Delhi). He was the coach when we won the Ranji Trophy (in 2008). We’ve now won two IPl championships together. I think he’s one of the best Indian coaches around.”
It has truly been a remarkable effort by all the people in and around Kolkata team to turn a failing campaign into success because such a feat isn’t possible unless each and every member doesn’t put his 100 per cent.
“It’s been a rollercoaster ride, but when you finish the season winning the IPl, you can’t complain. It’s not about how you start the season, it’s how you finish and we ended on a very high note. The guys were desperate to turn it around after the first seven games and that’s what strong individuals are all about,” Gambhir said.