[Watch] When Adam Gilchrist's Deccan Chargers beat RCB to win their maiden IPL title in 2009
The Deccan Chargers, led by former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, produced one of the most incredible turnarounds to capture the IPL title on this day in 2009.
In the grand finale, Gilchrist's men faced the Anil Kumble-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the iconic Wanderers Stadium in Johanessburg.
The Chargers got off to the worst possible start, with skipper Gilchrist being dismissed by his opposite number in the first over of the innings.
However, a half-century from Herschelle Gibbs and valuable contributions from Andrew Symonds and Rohit Sharma helped the Chargers post a fighting total of 143/6 on the board.
In response, RCB could only manage 137/9 in their 20 overs, falling six runs short of the Chargers' total. The Hyderabad bowlers bowled and fielded superbly as a unit by taking wickets at regular intervals to stifle the RCB batters.
The match came down to the wire, with RP Singh defending 15 runs off the final over against Robin Uthappa to lead the Chargers to their first IPL title. The left-arm pacer also won the Purple cap in the season, picking up 23 wickets in 16 games.
Here is the video of the thrilling finale of IPL 2009:
The franchise boasting some of the biggest names in the sport, including Gilchrist, Rohit, Symonds, Herschelle Gibbs, and Shahid Afridi, among others, failed miserably a year ago in the inaugural season of the IPL. They finished at the bottom of the points table, winning only two out of their 14 games.
However, the Chargers made a brilliant comeback in the following season held in South Africa, winning their first four games to make their intentions clear right from the get-go.
Despite the terrific start, the Chargers stumbled in the middle stages of the tournament and finished fourth in the points table with seven wins from 14 games.
Having barely qualified for the knockout stage, Gilchrist and Co. rose to the occasion and capped off a magical season by winning the title on the very day in 2009.
Deccan Chargers skipper Adam Gilchrist produced a magical knock to upset the Delhi Daredevils in the semi-finals
Deccan Chargers produced one of the biggest upsets in IPL history when they upstaged the overwhelming favorites Delhi Daredevils (DD) in the semi-finals at the Super Sport Park in Centurion.
Delhi had been the in-form team throughout the season, winning 10 of their 14 games and finishing atop the points table. The side boasted several big names like skipper Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, AB de Villiers, David Warner, and Dinesh Karthik.
Winning the toss and fielding first, the Chargers restricted the powerful Delhi batting lineup to a mediocre total of 153/8 in 20 overs.
In response, skipper Adam Gilchrist produced one of the greatest knocks in IPL history, scoring 85 off 35 deliveries, including 10 boundaries and five sixes. Gilchrist's five boundaries in the first over of the innings bowled by Delhi's spearhead Dirk Nannes set the tone for his batting masterclass.
The former Australian great reached his half-century off just 17 balls as he led the Chargers to a crushing win by six wickets with 14 balls to spare.
The match also has much significance as it is believed to be the reason for the playoff format to be introduced in 2011 to provide the top two teams with a second chance in case of a slip-up.