#OTD in 2012: Kolkata Knight Riders secured their maiden Indian Premier League title

On this day, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) won their first-ever Indian Premier League (IPL) title by chasing down a mammoth total of 190 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. 

KKR had 10 wins in 16 league matches and stood at the second position, while CSK had eight wins in the same appearances and was fourth in the points table. Both teams had faced each other on two occasions in the league stage, with one being won by each team. 

CSK elected to bat first in the Grand Finale, with Michael Hussey and Murali Vijay as the openers. Both the batters started cautiously but consistently smashed boundaries to garner 54 runs in the first six overs. 

They continued their onslaught until the 11th over, before Shakib Al Hasan pounced on to a terrific catch of Murali Vijay (42) at the deep square leg boundary off Rajat Bhatia. 

Then arrived Suresh Raina, who further accelerated the momentum. However, on the first ball of the 18th over, Kallis put an end to Hussey’s impressive knock of 54 off 43 balls with a slower delivery. 

Nevertheless, Raina’s late push helped the team to post 190 on the board before Sunil Narine dismissed him in the last ball of the innings. 

In reply to a mammoth chase, KKR lost their captain Gautam Gambhir early, who was deceived by a slower delivery by Ben Hilfenhaus in the first over. 

The odds shifted in favour of the fielding team, but then came a tornado named - Manvinder Bisla. The Hisar-born used the fielding restrictions well to hit boundaries at the point and cover region. 

In the sixth over, Bisla charged against Ravichandran Ashwin to tonk him for two sixes. Soon he completed his fifty off 27 balls, and the team passed the score of 100 in the 10th over. 

The spinners, Ashwin and Shadab Jakati, had no answers to the delightful shots of Bisla and Kallis and were under the pump. 

However, Albie Morkel took an important wicket of Bisla (89), with KKR still needing 52 off 32 balls. 

And the quick wickets of Yusuf Pathan (1) and Kallis (69) put CSK in the commanding position. 

However, the tale had another twist as Shakib Al Hasan hit a boundary in the final ball of the penultimate over to make it nine off six for KKR. 

Manoj Tiwari, then, hit two boundaries towards the square leg in the third and fourth ball to help KKR lift their maiden Indian Premier League title. 

Bisla was named ‘Player of the Match’ for his miraculous innings, and Sunil Narine received the ‘Player of the Series award’ for his dream season with the ball.