Joy of IPL triumph equals WC win: Akram

IPL victory pleases KKR bowling mentor as much as Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup win

Nothing can bring out emotions the way sport does. It brings out the child in a mature, wise man and causes even the toughest of eyes to shed tears. And once you attach yourself to a sport, it doesn’t matter at which level you’re competing, every single game is played to be won. The grand finale of IPL 2012 presented a classic example of the passion that sport accompanies.

After the Kolkata Knight Riders romped through to their first IPL title triumph, iplt20.com caught up with their bowling mentor, Wasim Akram. The Sultan of Swing, Akram is widely regarded as the most complete fast bowler of his time. With over 900 international wickets and a World Cup triumph under his belt, there are not many achievements that the legend from Pakistan has missed out on in his cricketing career. Yet, after his KKR “boys” emerged victorious in a nail-biting final, Akram was a bundle of joy.

Ecstatic with the win, Akram likened being a part of the new IPL champions to winning the World Cup for Pakistan in 1992. Here are the snippets from his interview:

How does it feel to end the five-year-long wait?

It was incredible. Credit goes to the captain and his team on the way they have fought throughout the tournament. My voice is gone and I am feeling the same when I did after winning the World Cup for Pakistan. It was worth the wait.

What’s the main difference between KKR of the past and the current team?

The leadership, the contribution from senior and the foreign players was the key. We’re a family, not a team. We supported each other through thick and thin, and that helped.

What do you have to say about your bunch of boys – the bowlers?

My bowlers are the best in the world and we can beat any team with this bowling attack. The variety and the wicket-taking ability are incredible. It’s good to be a part of this team.

A word on Sunil Narine.

He has been a revelation. Nobody could read him in this tournament and I don’t think anybody will do it in the next two years. It’s good for KKR.

Is this victory sweeter after all that the team has gone through?

It’s very sweet. It’s incredible especially for SRK [Shah Rukh Khan], Juhi [Chawla] and Jay [Mehta]; they’ve been waiting for it since a long time. Look at SRK, he is like a little kid, and so am I! 

Kolkata Knight Riders won by 5 wickets

MATCH DETAILS - (KKR,CSK)(192/5,190/3)

Toss: Chennai Super Kings, who chose to bat

Man of the Match: tba

Venue: M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

Umpires: Billy Bowden , Simon Taufel , Billy Doctrove , and Krishnamachari Srinivasan

Referee: Ranjan Madugalle

• Chennai Super Kings innings
• Powerplay: 54 runs, 0 wickets
• CKS: 50 runs in 5.5 overs
• 1st Wicket: 50 runs in 36 balls (Mike Hussey 30, Murali Vijay, 21)
• CSK: 100 runs in 11.5 overs
• Mike Hussey: 50 off 38 balls
• 2nd Wicket: 50 runs in 29 balls (Mike Hussey, 12, Suresh Raina 36)
• CSK: 150 runs in 16.3 overs
• Suresh Raina: 50 off 27 balls
• Innings Break: Chennai Super Kings - 190/3 in 20.0 overs
• Kolkata Knight Riders innings
• Powerplay: 56 runs, 1 wicket
• KKR: 50 runs in 5.4. overs
• 2nd Wicket: 50 runs in 28 balls (Manvinder Bisla, Jacques Kallis)
• Manvinder Bisla: 50 off 27 balls
• KKR: 100 runs in 9.5 overs
• 2nd Wicket: 100 runs in 56 balls (Manvinder Bisla 67, Jacques Kallis 28)

Chennai Super Kings (Run Rate: 9.50)			Runs	Balls	SR	4s	6s	Dots
Expand	Michael Hussey	b Jacques Kallis	54	43	125.58	4	2
Expand	Murali Vijay	c Shakib Al Hassan b Rajat Bhatia	42	32	131.25	4	1
Expand	Suresh Raina	c Brett Lee b Shakib Al Hassan	73	38	192.10	3	5
Expand	MS Dhoni	not out	14	9	155.55	2	0
	extras	(nb 2, w 2, lb 3)	7
	Total	(3 wickets; 20 overs)	190

• Bowler	O	R	W	Econ	Dots
  Brett Lee	4	42	0	10.50	8
  Shakib Al Hassan	3	25	1	8.33	5
  Sunil Narine	4	37	0	9.25	5
  Iqbal Abdulla	1	9	0	9.00	2
  Jacques Kallis	4	34	1	8.50	7
  Rajat Bhatia	3	23	1	7.66	4
  Yusuf Pathan	1	17	0	17.00	0

• Fall of Wickets
  1-87 (Vijay, 10.2ov)	2-160 (Hussey, 17.1ov)
  3-190 (Raina, 19.6ov)

Kolkata Knight Riders (Run Rate: 9.76)			Runs	Balls	SR	4s	6s	Dots
Expand	Manvinder Bisla	c Subramaniam Badrinath b Albie Morkel	89	48	185.41	8	5
Expand	Gautam Gambhir	b Ben Hilfenhaus	2	4	50.00	0	0
Expand	Jacques Kallis	c Ravindra Jadeja b Ben Hilfenhaus	69	49	140.81	7	1
Expand	Laxmi Ratan Shukla	c Michael Hussey b Dwayne Bravo	3	6	50.00	0	0
Expand	Yusuf Pathan	c Subramaniam Badrinath b Ravichandran Ashwin	1	2	50.00	0	0
Expand	Shakib Al Hassan	not out	11	7	157.14	1	0
Expand	Manoj Tiwary	not out	9	3	300.00	2	0
	extras	(nb 1, w 6, lb 1)	8
	Total	(5 wickets; 19.4 overs)	192

• Bowler	O	R	W	Econ	Dots
  Ben Hilfenhaus	4	25	2	6.25	10
  Albie Morkel	4	38	1	9.50	5
  Ravichandran Ashwin	4	41	1	10.25	6
  Dwayne Bravo	3.4	49	1	13.36	3
  Shadab Jakati	4	38	0	9.50	5

• 
  

  Fall of Wickets
  1-3 (Gambhir, 0.6ov)	2-139 (Bisla, 14.4ov)
  3-152 (Shukla, 16.2ov)	4-164 (Pathan, 17.1ov)
  5-175 (Kallis, 18.5ov)

Destiny wants us to win again: du Plessis

CSK batsman hopes his team makes the most of their fortune and defends title

When the Royal Challengers Bangalore were chasing a modest 133 against the beleaguered Deccan Chargers, the Chennai Super Kings turned from cricketers to fans for a day. Crammed in a hotel room, they cheered their hearts out for the Chargers. There was pandemonium in the room and emotions flowing in abundance. The sharp brains that plot the demise of their opponents on the cricket field, gave in to superstitions. Coach, Stephen Fleming, was shut out of the team room because the players thought he brought ill luck for the Chargers.

In the end, CSK got what they were desperately hoping for – a very unlikely DC victory and with it a berth in the playoffs of IPL 2012. They now play the eliminator against the Mumbai Indians in Bengaluru. 

Ahead of the knockout game, iplt20.com caught up with CSK’s highest run-getter in the tournament, Faf du Plessis. The amicable South African admitted the team was “very lucky” to still be in the tournament and said it’s now imperative for them to make the most of their fortune and lift the trophy for the third time. He revelled in the fact that it was two South Africans – Dale Steyn and JP Duminy from DC – who knocked RCB out to give CSK a playoff spot.

Does the team consider itself fortunate to be here?

Very lucky, to be honest. I did not think it would be possible for us to get through. When it is one result going in your favour, it is asking for a lot; but to have three results going in your favour, it is next to impossible.

Destiny wants you to win the third IPL in a row.

Well, that’s what we are thinking now because we shouldn’t be here but we are here. You have to think that someone is on our side to push us to get another trophy.

Did the team watch the DC v RCB match closely?

We were watching all three games. We were watching the RR game, which they lost and we were cheering for MI – which we never do – and then, the RCB one. To be honest with you, I saw the first two matches, but the third one I just said, “I don’t see DC beating the powerhouse that RCB has”. The previous day, Albie [Morkel] and I had sent out a Tweet to Dale Steyn saying “Please do us a favour and just get some early wickets,” and he was just unbelievable. He took three wickets for eight runs. Another South African, JP Duminy, too scored big runs. It was the two South Africans who came to the party to see CSK through.

We heard that the team had sent coach Stephen Fleming out of the room during that match?

Yeah, it was really funny. The whole team was sitting there and cheering. Fleming went out and RCB started to struggle. He returned after while to join the whole hype of watching the game. As he entered the room, everyone shouted, “Get out” and he was like “I don’t know why should I get out”. He went to his room and things started to go well for DC again. He tried to come in once again, but we denied him entry into the room. He was only allowed in when the last ball was bowled.

CSK has lost both their league matches to MI. Will that play on your minds?

No. In fact, I think something that CSK has done very well as compared to MI is crossing the final hurdle. MI has been fantastic always in the round robin, but sometimes they haven’t gone past the knockout stage. We have been there, we have done it and we know how to do it. So, for us the important thing now is to understand that everything that has happened up till now is gone. The inconsistency is gone. In the past, we have been the better side in the big games, so that’s what matters in this game.

What is the biggest threat from MI?

To have someone like [Lasith] Malinga is a great boost. He plays a key role in the bowling department and how we play him is going to be very important. He has done well in the matches against CSK. They have got good finishers and so do we; the only difference between the two teams is Malinga, who’s the best T20 bowler in the world. For us, [Ben] Hilfenhaus has been doing well with the new ball, which is something we lacked until he came. That adds strength to our team.

CSK’s game in Bengaluru was washed out, whereas MI beat RCB here. Will they have better knowledge of the conditions?

It is a really good wicket and we have got a really strong batting line-up. It was unfortunate that we missed out on the game because of the rains. There is a true bounce on the wicket, which the batsmen will relish. Hopefully, our powerhouse batting will put some runs on the board.

Hilfenhaus and Michael Hussey have put you on the brink. What do you think are your chances of getting a game?

That’s up to the selectors. I was sick for two games; I had bad viral fever. That created a chance for Michael to come back in to the setup and he has done well. Now, it’s a difficult one for the selectors, because I have been doing really well and so is Hussey. Luckily, I don’t have to make that decision.

But it’s not easy to leave out your highest run-scorer of the season.

That’s the theory. In the previous game, they went for Michael and the thinking behind that was that he has been doing well and I was sick and 90 percent fit. Now, I am back to 100 percent and I obviously want to play. But it’s up to Fleming and MS [Dhoni] and what they think will be the best team on that day.