IPL: Mission accomplished, says captain Gambhir

Kolkata break Chennai’s hold on the IPL trophy.

CHENNAI: Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambir was in buoyant mood after his team managed to clinch its maiden Indian Premier League title in five seasons.

“Mission accomplished,” said Gambhir. “Chasing 191 against the defending champions in their backyard shows great character. It proves a captain is only as good as his team.”

Kolkata found a surprise hero in Manvinder Bisla who scored a quick-fire 89 from 48 balls to help chase down the target with two balls to spare.

“It was one of the best Twenty20 innings I’ve seen, especially under pressure against Chennai at their home ground, in conditions that suit them.”

Man-of-the-match Bisla and Kallis put on 136 runs for the second wicket to aid the chase that denied two-time champions Chennai a hat-trick.

“Bisla and Kallis got the partnership Kolkata needed,” said Chennai captain MS Dhoni. “I think the ball started coming on slightly better in the second half but under the conditions, we batted well. Our bowlers were not getting the reverse swing.”

Kolkata Knight Riders bagged $2million in prize-money while runners-up Chennai got $1.5 million.

“When you get beaten like that, it’s a lot easier to take than when you’ve played below par,” said Chennai coach Stephen Fleming. “A little disappointed that our campaign has been termed as ‘lucky’, we still got the points to qualify for the semis. The challenge next year is to be one of the most consistent sides.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29^th, 2012.