Bengaluru: Riding on the brilliance of their skipper David Warner and backed by a razor-sharp attack, Sunrisers Hyderabad first stunned and then silenced the Royal Challengers Bangalore to seal their maiden IPL trophy in their first shot at the title.
Going first up at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium and rattling off an imposing 208 for 7, Warner and Co. took the Gayle storm in their stride to peg the Challengers to 200 for seven for an eight-run victory on Sunday night.
It was to prove even third time unlucky for the home team as Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mustafizur Rahman proved too much for Virat Kohli’s loyalists.
In the chase, Chris Gayle (76, 38b) had been at his murderous best, leaving even the prolific Kohli (54, 35b, 5x4 2x6), who missed out on the tantalising 1000-run mark in the wake.
Up against a stiff target, the Jamaican took off like a battering ram, plundering the Eagles’ attack with the openers putting on 114 in 63 deliveries.
Eight mighty sixes and four boundaries thundered from the West Indian’s willow as the Challengers raced to their fifty in 4.4 overs while emulating the Sunrisers’ Powerplay of 59 from six.
Cutting, who had laid into the hosts bowlers earlier, was given special treatment by Gayle as he brought up his 50 off 25 deliveries with a straight maximum. Given the mood he was in, the Challengers’ 100 came off just 9 overs with Gayle contributing 74 with a sedate Kohli on 20.
But that’s when the wheels fell off. Kohli, reprieved by Mustafizur, back in the eleven after recovering from a hamstring pull, dropped him off Cutting but Gayle wasn’t so lucky, Bipul Sharma latching onto a slash at third-man.
Kohli quickened his pace, completed his seventh fifty with an inside-out six of Barinder Sran before an inside-edge gave the bowler a prized wicket.
AB de Villiers’ miscued hit off Bipul ended in Moises Henriques’ hands at mid-off, KL Rahul was castled to a shocking slog-sweep while Watson, having conceded a horrendous 61 from four earlier, failed again with the bat, exposing the middle order which caved in.
Earlier, it didn’t matter to Warner that he was enveloped in a sea of red, the Sunrisers skipper in imperious form all through the season took off from where he left in the Qualifier 2.
Warner (69, 38b, 8x4, 3x6), with a voracious appetite for runs, notched his ninth fifty of the season, tallying 848 in the process, to guide his team with solid help from a big-hitting Ben Cutting (39 n.o., 15b, 3x4, 4x4) and Yuvraj Singh (38, 23b, 4x4, 2x6) to a 200-plus score.
David Warner led from the front as Sunrisers Hyderabad clinched their maiden IPL title
A full house packed the venue and miraculously the rains, which had threatened to spoil the party, kept away as the skies cleared in time.
Scorecard:
Sunrisers Hyderabad: D. Warner c Iqbal Abdulla b Aravind 69, S. Dhawan c Jordan b Chahal 28, M. Henriques c Chahal b Jordan 4, Yuvraj Singh c Watson b Jordan 38, D. Hooda c Kohli b Aravind 3, Ben Cutting (not out) 39, N. Ojha run out 7, Bipul Sharma c Chahal b Jordan 5, B. Kumar (not out) 1. Extras (b 1, lb 2, w 11) 14. Total (for seven wickets in 20 overs) 208.
FoW: 1-63, 2-97, 3-125, 4-147, 5-148, 6-158, 7-174.
Bowling: Aravind 4-0-30-2, Gayle 3-0-24-0, Watson 4-0-61-0, Chahal 4-0-35-1, Abdulla 1-0-10-0, Jordan 4-0-45-3.
Royal Challengers Bangalore: C. Gayle c Bipul Sharma b Cutting 76, Virat Kohli b Sran 54, A.B. de Villiers c Henriques b Bipul Sharma 5, K.L. Rahul b Cutting 11, S. Watson c Henriques b Mustafizur Rahman 11, Sachin Baby not out 18, S. Binny run out 9, Chris Jordan run out 3, Iqbal Abulla not out 4. Extras (lb-5, w-4) 9. Total (7 wickets; 20 overs) 200.
FoW: 1-114, 2-140, 3-148, 4-160, 5-164, 6-180, 7-194,
Bowling: B. Kumar 4-0-25-0, B. Sran 3-0-41-1, Ben Cutting 4-0-35-2, Mustafizur Rahman 4-0-37-1, Moises Henriques 3-0-40-0, Bipul Sharma 2-0-17-1.
Riding on fan loyalty
It’s a given that the M. Chinnaswamy stadium would be enveloped in a sea of red. The fans, going through the turnstiles and packing the venue were out in full force in support of their team’s maiden trophy hunt. Getting into the mood well before the final began, the crowd got into action mode bellowing support for the Royal Challengers.
But the Sunrisers weren’t going to go down so easily. Channeling their own brand of support, the Hyderabad team found their charm and ambassador in movie star Venkatesh, who made his way to the stadium to ensure the Orange Army wouldn’t lack in support. Orange or red? Take your pick.
Meet the benchwarmers— Compiled by S. BAGAWATI PRASAD
