Knight Riders rout Delhi to reach maiden IPL final

Kolkata Knight Riders crafty bowling, successfully defended the score of 162 against the famed batting line-up of the Delhi Daredevils to register themselves for their first ever IPL final. It was a thoroughly disciplined performance from the entire team of Kolkata that outlasted Delhi’s sporadic sparks to defeat them for the second time this season in three encounters. Delhi Daredevils now have one more shot at a berth in the final when they play the winner of the match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings on the 25th in the last playoff match.

On a pitch that got increasingly slower and lower as the match progressed, Delhi’s formidable pace unit failed to cause trouble to any of the Kolkata batsmen, who found the extra pace quite convenient to maneuver and score quick runs. Gambhir started swiftly, but ran himself out on 32 to gift Delhi a breakthrough against the run of play. Pawan Negi and Irfan Pathan then put brakes on the scoring in the middle overs, but the second spells from the pacers at the death, invited another onslaught from Kolkata, with Pathan and Shukla using the bowlers’ pace ably to score plenty of runs through the cover and mid-wicket region.

Chasing a stiff target of 162, Delhi lost its openers quickly, but Jayawardene and Ojha put on a partnership that threatened to take the game away from Kolkata. The duo dealt with the spin with some dexterous shots to keep the required rate within reach, but the wicket of Ojha became a turning point that the Daredevils never recovered from. The decision to send Venugopal Rao and Negi ahead of Ross Taylor proved conclusively fatal, as they failed to get any momentum going and Rao ended up tamely holing out to extra cover to finish with 13 runs off 22 deliveries. It was too late in the day when Ross Taylor and an injured Pathan came to the crease. After a few lusty blows, Delhi’s batting succumbed to the indomitable pressure and fell 18 runs short of the target.

It was a match full of performances, where five Kolkata batsmen scored over 20 runs and 3 bowlers gave away just 6 runs per over in their quota of four overs. The Knight Riders have exemplified teamwork and consistency this season, and it was no different in the playoffs where they overcame league toppers Delhi, to win a deserving berth in the final.

Performance of the day

Yusuf Pathan has hit form at the right time for the Knight Riders, as he hit three fours and two sixes on his way to a fluent 40 off 21 deliveries at the death to take Kolkata to a challenging score. He seems to be gaining on his renowned hitting ability fast and now poses himself as a huge threat to the bowling opposition in the final.

The suspect pacers

It wasn’t the awe-inspiring Delhi pace unit that tested the batsmen, but the duo of Laxmipathy Balaji and Jacques Kallis that showed how to bowl on the slow Pune track. Mixing their length and keeping the ball short to the Indian batsmen, the duo gave away just 35 runs in their combined 6 overs with 3 scalps. While Sehwag fell prey to Balaji’s outswinging bananas, the Delhi middle order failed to score quick runs against Kallis and gifted him with the wickets of Venugopal Rao and Ross Taylor.

The suspect decision

Bowling around the wicket to Warner, Shakib Al Hasan got the ball to turn, it hit the pads and lobbed up to give a simple catch to McCullum. Replays showed that the bat had hit the pad, and the bat and the ball had not made any contact, which explains Warner’s attempt to stare down Billy Doctrove as he walked off unhappily.

Match meter

Yusuf Pathan and Laxmiratan Shukla provided great entertainment at the tail end of the Knight Riders’ innings with some splendid hits, and Jayawardene provided some classy strokes in Delhi’s attempted chase. In the end, the guileful bowling prowess of the Knight Riders came to the fore as they took eight Delhi wickets to clinch the match and give Kolkata fans much reason to cheer and celebrate.

Score: 8/10

The next step

After a disappointing outing, Venugopal Rao may now give way to Unmukt Chand or Yogesh Nagar in Delhi’s final shot at a berth in the IPL final when they play Mumbai or Chennai on the 25th. Ross Taylor could be promoted up the order to give him more overs to work with, while it is unclear whether Irfan Pathan will be fit for that match, having split his webbing between his middle and ring finger. Delhi will look to play the same brand of aggressive cricket that took them to the top of the table and will be desperate to enter their first IPL final.

Kolkata on the other hand have hit the ideal combination of players and have no such problems as they go into the final brimming with confidence. They will face one of Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata on the 27th in the grand IPL finale and Gambhir will be willing his players to win the crown for the first time for the Kolkata Knight Riders and round off a hugely successful season.