One could feel the sad state in which Gujarat Lions players were last night. A new team with new coaches and yet they ended the league round sitting on top of the table.
However, for all the consistency they showed in the league rounds, of the IPL they undid it all by losing two games in a row from winning positions.
Like AB de Villiers became the one-man hurdle between GL and their dreams being fulfilled in the first qualifier, David Warner took inspiration and followed suit as he almost single-handedly won his team the game.
And now, we find ourselves waiting to be graced by the two titans of the tournament: RCB v SRH – the perfect final. One has the best lineup in the tournament and the other one could say the same about their bowling. It will be a fitting end, regardless of who wins.
Regardless, there were plenty of memorable moments in the match that don't fade away, quite like the Axe Signature range of body perfumes. Here are 5 of the best:
#1 Bhuvneshwar Kumar gains ground in Purple Cap race
When the tournament started, many expected Mustafizur Rahman to end up being the Sunrisers’ highest wicket-taker. And they had their reasons.
In the World T20 that was played in India prior to the IPL, the 20-year-old Bangladeshi bowler had an outstanding tournament despite playing just 3 games. He took 9 wickets in those 3 games and it was only natural to expect that he would continue his streak.
So far, Mustafizur’s has had a great IPL, but in terms of wicket-taking his partner in crime, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, beats him by a long margin. Picking up 2 wickets in the 4 overs that he bowled, while only giving away 27 runs, he is now almost sure to finish the tournament with the Purple Cap as he sits pretty on top with 23 wickets—3 more than the next challenger, Shane Watson.
#2 Aaron Finch’s 50
It seems as though the number 5 spot of Gujarat Lions guarantees runs for openers. The team has 3 genuine openers in the form of Brendon McCullum, Aaron Finch and Dwayne Smith, but Eklavya Dwivedi opened the innings with their Kiwi against Hyderabad.
Finch has been struggling for form of late while opening the batting. Whereas, Dwayne Smith was having a fine time while playing at number 5. In fact, even Aaron Finch played a good innings at number 5. So the change was made and he repeated history.
He scored 50 runs in the 32 balls that he played last night. This came at a crucial juncture of the game and helped GL set up a score of above 160.
#3 Ben Cutting’s Superman save
Watching the ball sail over the boundary for a six is a glorious sight. However, witnessing a fielder come in the way and stop the ball from sailing over fence is an even more spectacular picture.
Aaron Finch was in the mood. He slashed Barinder Sran’s ball towards deep mid-wicket, where Ben Cutting was waiting with hope that the ball would just about be in his reach. However, he soon realized that it would easily go over him and even a jump would go in vain.
But jump he did and the catch, he took. However, while momentum took him backwards, he palmed the ball away to save 5 important runs for his team. The hang time and the way he pulled this off left the crowd's mouths wide open as they struggled to come to terms with this extraordinary piece of fielding.
#4 David Warner’s fury
How often have you seen a player carry his team all by himself to the shores of victory? Many times, especially in this year’s IPL.
However, only some players have been able to do that consistently—and those players are the top 3 run-getters in this year’s tournament. Among them, sandwiched between Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers at number two is David Warner.
And it was this innings that got him the prestigious spot between the two greatest batsmen in the world.
As his team-mates kept falling like a house of cards, he stood there unmoved like a mountain in a tempest. Scoring 93 off 58 balls, he was the only player, along with Bipul Sharma, in the SRH line-up that got a score of above 11, and it was this innings that made all the difference. And he ensured his team completed the win by staying unbeaten till the end.
#5 Bipul Sharma’s cameo
Obviously, even single-handed wins need a hand from a second person to achieve success. In the first qualifier, Gujarat Lions were undone by a brilliant AB de Villiers who was aptly supported by Iqbal Abdulla.
And in the second one, it was Bipul Sharma who played the role of Abdulla and took away a lot of pressure from Warner in the crux part of the innings.
One could see the frustration on Warner’s face as he couldn’t fathom how none of his team-mates rose up to the occasion. Enter Bipul Sharma.
The all-rounder didn’t wait around to play the ball for a single and give it to a tiring Warner. He took the onus upon himself as he smashed his way to a 11 ball 27 and made sure that Warner didn’t have to do it all by himself. The Australian may get all the plaudits at the end, but he wouldn't have been able to do his part if not for Bipul.
Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download CricRocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more! 🚀☄️
