5 Best Batting Performances In IPL Finals
The IPL has seen a countless number of excellent batting performances accompanied by good jobs in the field as well as well as in bowling department. The IPL has provided opportunities to plenty of players to express themselves in their respective departments.
In the 11 seasons of the tournament so far, there have been a few seasons where the league has been dominated by great bowling performances like the 2017 season or the 2010 season. However, more often than not, IPL has been dominated by batting performances. Countless young stars have proven themselves by scoring runs when it mattered the most, and the IPL keeps yielding new and better players every year.
The league has also seen teams playing brilliantly throughout the season only to lose it at the last hurdle like the Kings XI Punjab in 2014, CSK in 2013 and Rising Pune Super Giants in 2017.
Although the final is easily the most important match of the season, it is the match were the most unexpected things tend to take place. Batting in an IPL final is not an easy task and playing great innings even tougher. So let us take a look at the top 5 batting performances in IPL finals so far.
#5- Manvinder Bisla vs Chennai Super Kings (2012)- 89(48)
The wicket-keeper batsman scored 89 runs off 48 balls to give Shah Rukh Khan's Kolkata Knight Riders their first IPL title. The Chennai Super Kings were the defending champions then.
The Chennai Super Kings, who batted first, posted a daunting total of 190 and set a target of 191 for KKR. Mike Hussey and Suresh Raina contributed with half-centuries while MS Dhoni and Murali Vijay played good cameos.
For KKR, Bisla opened the innings with captain Gautam Gambhir. Gambhir departed for just two runs. Bisla took the lead after his departure and stroked his way through to a half-century in 27 balls. He became more aggressive after his fifty and began slogging the spinners.
Barring Hilfenhaus, none of the CSK bowlers were spared. When Bisla was on 89 and looked set for a century, he perished while trying to play an uppercut off Albie Morkel.
Meanwhile, Jacques Kallis didn't stop his free-flowing shots as he carried the innings until the 18th over where he fell prey to Hilfenhaus. Manoj Tiwary later took the onus on himself to finish things. With 9 runs required off the last over, Tiwary smashed 2 boundaries to win KKR its maiden title.
Manvinder Bisla was adjudged the man of the match for his match-winning performance.