Don't Fade Away: Top 5 memorable moments of Pepsi IPL 2014

It is difficult to categorize or give an outright verdict on whether the 7th edition of the Indian Premier League was the most exciting of them all. But to put it simply, this year’s Pepsi IPL has probably breached the benchmark set by its predecessors in all departments of the game. Catching in the outfield was exemplary, and there have been more than a handful of rookie Indian spinners who have gone on to make headlines in this year’s Pepsi IPL, and batting, as always, has been breathtaking and exhilarating. However, it is only fair to outline at least 5 monumental moments that kept us engrossed, bewildered and left us intoxicated.

#5 Chris Lynn\'s spectacular catch

Chris Lynns spectacular catch at the mid-wicket boundary to dismiss De Villiers went a long way in denying the Royal Challengers from what looked like a certain 2 points. It was a shame that Pollards ripper later on in the tournament handed him the catch of the season award.

AB De Villiers and Albie Morkel were at the crease, with 9 runs required off the last over. Vinay Kumar was given the responsibility of trying to restrict the Royal Challengers from sneaking home. After 3 consecutive singles in the first 3 balls of the over, 6 runs were needed off the last 3. De Villiers was on strike, and Vinay Kumar pitched the ball right in the arc of the right-hander, who made decent contact.

When the ball was in the air, Chris Lynn had misjudged the trajectory of the flight of the ball and ran forward in an attempt to catch it. To further compound matters for Lynn, he slipped when he started back-pedalling, but his agility levels were so slick, that, in spite of slipping, he could get up half-way, complete the catch and go down like a pole-vault jumper. It was an astonishing piece of brilliance, and to reiterate it once again, its a shame that Lynns catch didnt get the catch of the season award.

#4 De Villiers destroying Dale Steyn

This monumental moment of this years Pepsi IPL is what makes the lucrativeleague all the more exhilarating and rich in pedigree. Two leading cricketersfrom South Africawent toe-to-toe in a thrilling T20 game you will have ever seen, and it was the versatile sportsman in AB De Villiers, who, with all his dexterity and class made a mockery of the champion bowler in Steyn.

De Villiers struck two sixes and two fours off Steyn in the 19thover of the Royal Challengers innings, and his heroics went a long way in ensuring that the Bangalore-based franchise stayed in the hunt to make that last playoff spot.

More than the quality of cricket that this game rendered, it will be remembered more for the way these two dazzling cricketers engaged everyone into the rivetting contest they were involved in.

#3 Kolkata Knight Riders\' colossal capitulation vs Rajasthan Royals

It was 6 days after the two sides played out a humdinger of a contest in the UAE,in a game, which was tied even after the conclusionof the Super Over.The Rajasthan Royalsthough, having scored more number of boundaries at the end of 40 stipulated overs of the game, came out victorious on that night.

The 2ndmeeting between these two sides took place at the Motera in Ahmedabad. Rajasthan Royals had put up 170/6 a total that looked a formidable one for the kind of surface that was on offer. Uthappa and Gambhir looked in scintillating touch though, and took the Knights to 121-0 at the end of 14 overs. What happened on the next 8 balls (including a wide) was appalling, for a KKR supporter.

Watson claimed both the Knight Riders openers in the space of 3 balls in the 15th over, and then castled Andre Russell to avenge anearlier incidentboth the gentlemen were involved in.

The 16thover of the innings was bowled by Pravin Tambe, who garnered 3 wickets in only 2 legitimate deliveries he bowled. The first ball of the 16thover was a stumping off a wide delivery, which accounted for Manish Pandey. Yusuf Pathan faced the following delivery, and perished after edging it straight back to Tambe on his follow-through. The hat-trick ball was faced by the Dutchman, ten Doeschate, who was trapped plumb in front with a regulation leg-spinners delivery that completed the hat-trick, and there ended the procession and mother of all collapses in cricket.

It was one of those monumental moments in this years Pepsi IPL.

#2 Suresh Raina\'s 25-ball 87

It was just 2 days after the squad for Indias short tour of Bangladesh had beenannounced, and owing to other senior pros in the side being rested, the mantle of captaining Team Indiawas handed over to the 27-year old Suresh Raina.

Raina walked in to bat in the very first over of the Chennai Super Kings innings, and looked raring to go from the first ball he faced. The southpaw from Uttar Pradesh meant business and transcended himself into an immortal on the night. It didnt matter whether it was pitched up ordug-in short, Raina was difficult to bowl to.

Mitchell Johnson was still living in the good old days, as he tried to soften up Raina with those short-pitched deliveries, but the left-hander was up to the task of dispatching it to the boundarywith utmost disdain. He played the pull shot with panache, the lofted-drive over covers seamlessly, and most importantly, played authentic cricket shots.

He single-handedly took the Super Kings to100-2 at the end of the powerplay, and I still cant believe that the 2-time IPL champions couldnt get the job done from that position of immense strength.

Rainas 25-ball 87 is second in the list of monumental moments of this years Pepsi IPL.

#1 Mumbai Indians\' miraculous run-chase

Taking everything into consideration, Mumbai Indians pulling off the unthinkable at the Wankhede stadiumhad to be the no.1 monumental moment of this years Pepsi IPL.

A whopping 190 runs were required off 87 balls to derail Rajasthan Royals from4thspot in the IPL table, and march on to the IPL playoffs for the 5thseason running. When Rohit Sharma asked Royals to bat after winning the toss, the thinking was that a score of 150-160 would be the preferred equation for the Ambani-owned franchise, but190 wasway too much.

In the end, though, you had to say that Corey Anderson saved his best for the last, and for once, the marquee player of this years IPL vindicated why Mumbai Indians wanted himin the first place. His innings of 95(44) went a long way in ensuring that MI stayed in the hunt of this colossal run chase, and with a couple of heroic cameos from Ambati Rayudu and Aditya Tare, Mumbai romped home and made their way into the playoffs, where they were sent packing by the Chennai Super Kings.