How Kohli’s Magical 973 Runs Became a Story of IPL 2016 Heartbreak
It’s often said in cricket that while batters can win you matches, it’s bowlers who secure championships. The 2016 IPL perfectly embodied this idea, especially for the Royal Challengers Bangalore as Virat Kohli was unstoppable, smashing an incredible 973 runs, and carrying his team to the finals. The stage couldn’t have been better: a packed M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, their home ground, with an in-form batting lineup and a city brimming with hope. Yet, cricket’s unpredictability had other plans and despite their dream run and everything seemingly in their favour, RCB faltered at the final hurdle, falling just 8 runs short of the title. Let’s journey back to 2016 to understand how it all unravelled.
IPL 2016 Finals: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
The IPL 2016 final brought together two contrasting forces—Royal Challengers Bangalore, the tournament’s most explosive batting side, and Sunrisers Hyderabad, the team with the most lethal bowling attack. The match, held at the electrifying M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on May 29th, 2016, promised fireworks as the tournament’s top two run-scorers, RCB skipper Virat Kohli and SRH captain David Warner, faced off.
The coin toss went Warner’s way, and in a surprising move, he chose to bat first, defying the common wisdom of chasing on Bangalore’s batting-friendly ground. SRH openers David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan marched out, setting the stage for an explosive start.
By the fifth over, the pair launched a calculated attack on Shane Watson, plundering 19 runs, including two massive sixes and a boundary, to race to 46/0. However, in the 7th over, Yuzvendra Chahal provided the breakthrough RCB needed, dismissing Dhawan for a steady 28 off 25 balls, leaving SRH at 65/1.
Warner remained unshaken, continuing his fiery form as Moises Henriques joined him in the middle. The SRH captain soon brought up his half-century in just 24 balls, keeping his team on track for a massive total. However, just as their momentum seemed unstoppable, Chris Jordan struck back for RCB, removing Henriques for only 4 runs. By the halfway mark, SRH stood at 97/2, their hopes pinned on Warner to steer them to a formidable score.
Yuvraj Singh joined a blazing David Warner at the crease, but SRH’s momentum took a hit in the 14th over when Warner, batting on 69 from 38 balls, edged one to Abdulla at short third man. The skipper’s dismissal left SRH at 125/3, and trouble followed quickly. Within two overs, Deepak Hooda fell for just 3 runs, and Yuvraj’s spirited 38 off 23 balls ended as well, leaving the team reeling at 156/5 by the 17th over.
With only three overs remaining, SRH needed a strong finish to surpass 200 and challenge RCB’s formidable batting lineup. However, things looked grim when Naman Ojha was run out for 7 in the 18th over, leaving SRH at 168/6. Enter Ben Cutting. The all-rounder unleashed a breathtaking onslaught in the final over, smashing Shane Watson for three massive sixes, including a jaw-dropping 117-meter hit, and a boundary, propelling SRH to a formidable 208/7.
Chasing a daunting target of 209, Royal Challengers Bangalore knew they needed a flying start, and their star openers Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle delivered. With sheer intent and precision, they raced to 55/0 in just five overs. Gayle, known for his destructive batting, was in his element, unleashing the infamous “Gayle Storm.” He brought up his half-century in just 25 balls, dismantling SRH’s bowlers with towering sixes and blistering boundaries. By the halfway mark, RCB was cruising at 112/0, needing just 96 runs off 60 balls with all 10 wickets intact.
But David Warner wasn’t done yet and turning to his trump card, Ben Cutting, Warner shifted the momentum. Cutting struck gold, dismissing Gayle for a ferocious 76 off 38 balls. In the 13th over, Kohli reached a fighting half-century off 32 balls but fell shortly after, bowled by Sran. Suddenly, RCB found themselves at 141/2, requiring 67 runs off the last seven overs.
Hyderabad seized the opportunity and in the 14th over, the dangerous AB de Villiers, capable of single-handedly winning games, mistimed a shot and was dismissed for a mere 5 runs. RCB now stood at 149/3, their once-dominant chase starting to unravel as Hyderabad clawed their way back into the contest.
Now, the pair of KL Rahul and Shane Watson looked to take the chase on but in the 16th over again, Ben Cutting came to the rescue and bowled KL Rahul for 11 runs off 9 balls while Mustafizur Rahman dismissed Shane Watson for 11 runs off 9 balls in the next over to get the RCB team struggling at 172/5 by the end of 17 overs. The target was still 36 runs away and they had just 3 overs left with them. For the 18th over of the game, Bhuvneshwar Kumar took the matter into his hands and gave just 7 runs off the over to make the things even more tough for the RCB team.
With 29 runs required from the final two overs, Royal Challengers Bangalore faced an uphill battle to keep their hopes alive, and all eyes were on the 19th over, bowled by the ever-reliable Mustafizur Rahman. However, disaster struck immediately on the first ball when Stuart Binny, attempting to steal a quick double, was run out for just 9 runs off 7 balls, leaving RCB reeling at 180/5. The pressure was mounting, and with their IPL title hopes slipping further away, Sachin Baby decided to take matters into his own hands.
On the final ball of the over, he managed to deliver a crucial six, keeping RCB’s faint hopes alive and bringing the equation down to 17 runs required off the final over to be bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, a daunting task against one of the best death bowlers in the world.
As the final over began, Chris Jordan took a single off the first ball to bring Sachin Baby back on strike, with the weight of the entire team’s expectations on his shoulders. On the second delivery, a low full toss from Bhuvneshwar was mistimed by Sachin Baby, resulting in just a couple of runs, an opportunity missed that only added to the tension.
The third ball was a pinpoint yorker that led to the end of Chris Jordan, who was run out after a brilliant direct hit by Naman Ojha, reducing RCB to 194/7 and leaving them needing an improbable 14 runs off the final three balls. With Sachin Baby stranded at the non-striker’s end, the match seemed almost lost, and the fourth delivery added to their woes as it resulted in just a leg bye.
On the fifth ball, Sachin Baby attempted to guide a delivery towards the boundary but could only manage a single, leaving the task impossible with 13 runs needed off the final ball. As the ball was played towards a fielder, silence engulfed the RCB dugout, with Sachin Baby visibly in tears, while SRH captain David Warner roared in celebration. Although Iqbal Abdulla lap-scooped the final delivery for a boundary, it was too late. Sunrisers Hyderabad triumphed by 8 runs, sparking joyous celebrations in their camp. For his 39*(15) and 2/35 in 4 overs, Ben Cutting got the Man of the Match award while Virat Kohli was awarded the Man of the Tournament for his 973 runs in the 16 matches played.
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