2014 IPL 7th Season Piyush Chawla had possibly played the most important shot - and the most important cameo - of his career: the 4 on the 3rd ball of the 20th over, which handed Gautam Gambhir team their second IPL trophy in 3 years, by 3wickets, this time at the cost of the most explosive team of the season, Kings XI Punjab.
Kings XI Punjab Wriddhiman Saha’s swashbuckling 55-ball 115. The 1st century in an IPL final and the first by an Indian wicket-keeper propelled a slow-starting Punjab to 199 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Punjab Maxwell and Miller, and a resurgent Virender Sehwag had earlier contributed just 8 in 12 balls and Kings were 32/2 after 6 overs and 58/2 after 10 overs – their lowest scores this season after Gambhir invited them to bat. Sehwag (7) fell to an Umesh Yadav bouncer that grew on him. Bailey promoted himself over Maxwell, only to be bowled by Narine’s first ball of the match, the first of the 6th over. Even more of a surprise was watching Wriddhiman Saha pad out instead of Maxwell to join Manan Vohra.
Wriddhiman Saha and Vohra (67) went on to add 129 in 12 overs following a watchful start against Kolkata’s 2nd-line of spinners. Wriddhiman Saha was spectacular with his power and placement and seemed to be perpetually conscious of changes to the field. He caught up to reach a half-century in just 29 balls and then mauled the bowling.
Punjab would have considered them favorites after Johnson sent back the Orange cap holder Robin Uthappa in the first over of the chase. Captain Gambhir too perished for 23 – the first of Karanveer’s four – and it was left to Pandey and Yusuf Pathan to sort things out. Clubbing 4 sixes in a 22-ball 36. He added 71 in 7.2 overs with Pandey before holing out to Karanveer.
But with 15 needed in the last 2 overs, Chawla took it upon himself, hooking Johnson over deep backward square-leg before hitting the winning runs and taking off in celebration. Unfortunately, for Punjab, a cracking more severe awaited their own bowlers.
Score Details
Kings XI Punjab- 199/4(20)
Kolkata Knight Riders- 200/7(19.3)
Player of the match
M Pandey
Player of the series
G Maxwell
