Kolkata Knight Riders celebrate after winning the IPL 2012 Finals against CSK
On 27th May 2012, the team created history by winning their first IPL title. They defeated the mighty Chennai Super Kings in the final and gave their fans a moment to remember forever. It was a special night for the team, the fans, and everyone who believed in them. Let’s go back to that thrilling final and relive the magic of 27th May 2012.
When Chennai Super Kings walked out to bat at their home ground, Chepauk, on May 27, 2012, for the IPL 2012 final against Kolkata Knight Riders, they brought their A-game. They smashed 190/3 in 20 overs, charging at 9.50 runs an over. KKR won the toss and decided to bowl, but CSK’s big guns, Michael Hussey, Murali Vijay, and Suresh Raina, made it a long night for them, setting a steep target of 191.
Hussey and Vijay started like they owned the place, racking up 87 runs together for the first wicket. They hit 50 runs in just 5.5 overs, with a couple of extras helping out. Hussey was the anchor, cracking 54 runs off 43 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes, at a strike rate of 125.58. He got to his fifty in 38 balls, cool as you like. Vijay kept up the pace, blasting 42 runs off 32 balls with 4 fours and 1 six, at a strike rate of 131.25. Their fun ended in the 10.2nd over when Vijay got caught by Shakib Al Hasan off Rajat Bhatia, leaving CSK at 87/1 with a solid base.
Suresh Raina strolled in and turned it up to eleven. He hammered 73 runs off 38 balls, with 3 fours and 5 sixes, at a crazy strike rate of 192.10. Raina’s fifty took just 27 balls, and he added 73 runs with Hussey in no time, pushing CSK to 100 runs in 11.5 overs with 4 extras. Hussey got out in the 17.1st over, caught by Brett Lee off Jacques Kallis, with the score at 160/2. Raina kept swinging, getting CSK to 150 runs in 16.3 overs with 6 extras, before Lee caught him off Shakib’s bowling on the last ball. MS Dhoni, the skipper, stayed not out, smacking 14 runs off 9 balls with 2 fours at a strike rate of 155.55. They finished with 7 extras — 3 leg byes, 2 no-balls, and 2 wides.
KKR’s bowlers were all over the place. Rajat Bhatia did alright, grabbing 1 wicket for 23 runs in 3 overs at 7.66 runs an over. Jacques Kallis also took 1 wicket, leaking 34 runs in 4 overs at 8.50. Shakib Al Hasan got 1 wicket for 25 runs in 3 overs at 8.33. But Brett Lee had a rough one, giving away 42 runs in 4 overs without a wicket, at 10.50. Sunil Narine, usually a superstar, got no wickets, coughing up 37 runs in 4 overs at 9.25. Iqbal Abdulla’s 1 over cost 9 runs, and Yusuf Pathan’s lone over went for 17. KKR’s fielding was shaky, and CSK’s batsmen made them pay, setting up a chase that looked tough.
When Kolkata Knight Riders took on Chennai Super Kings’ 191-run target in the IPL 2012 final on May 27, 2012, at Chepauk, they pulled off a chase for the ages. They got to 192/5 in 19.4 overs, going at 9.76 runs an over, with Manvinder Bisla stealing the show and Jacques Kallis backing him up. KKR won their first IPL title, crossing the line with just 2 balls left.
Things looked dicey early on when captain Gautam Gambhir got bowled by Ben Hilfenhaus for 2 runs off 4 balls in the first over, leaving KKR at 3/1. Manvinder Bisla, stepping up in place of Brendon McCullum, joined Kallis, and they flipped the script with a huge 136-run stand for the second wicket.
Bisla was electric, smashing 89 runs off 48 balls with 8 fours and 5 sixes, at a strike rate of 185.41. He raced to his fifty in just 27 balls, pushing KKR to 50 runs in 5.4 overs with 4 extras. They hit 100 runs in 9.5 overs with 7 extras, with Bisla and Kallis piling on 100 runs together in 56 balls. Kallis was the calm head, scoring 69 runs off 49 balls with 7 fours and 1 six, at a strike rate of 140.81, reaching his fifty in 39 balls.
Bisla’s big show ended in the 14.4th over when S Badrinath caught him off Albie Morkel, with KKR at 139/2. Laxmi Shukla came in but managed only 3 runs off 6 balls before Michael Hussey caught him off Dwayne Bravo in the 16.2 over, making it 152/3.
Yusuf Pathan lasted 2 balls, scoring 1 run before Badrinath caught him off Ravichandran Ashwin in the 17.1st over, leaving KKR at 164/4. Kallis got out in the 18.5th over, caught by Ravindra Jadeja off Hilfenhaus, with the score at 175/5. With 9 runs needed in the final over, Shakib Al Hasan, not out on 11 runs off 7 balls with 1 four, and Manoj Tiwary, not out on 9 runs off 3 balls with 2 fours, kept cool to get KKR over the line. They had 8 extras — 1 leg bye, 1 no-ball, and 6 wides.
| CSK vs KKR, Final at Chennai, IPL, May 27 2012 | |
| Chennai Super Kings | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| 190/3 (20 overs) | 192/5 (19.4 overs) |
| Suresh Raina 73 (38) | Manvinder Bisla 89 (48) |
| Rajat Bhatia 1/23 (3 overs) | Ben Hilfenhaus 2/25 (4 overs) |
| Kolkata Knight Riders won by 5 wickets | |
CSK’s bowlers gave it everything, but KKR were relentless. Ben Hilfenhaus was the standout, taking 2 wickets for 25 runs in 4 overs at 6.25 runs an over. Albie Morkel and Ravichandran Ashwin each grabbed 1 wicket, giving up 38 and 41 runs in 4 overs, at 9.50 and 10.25. Dwayne Bravo got 1 wicket but got hit for 49 runs in 3.4 overs, at 13.36. Shadab Jakati didn’t take a wicket, leaking 38 runs in 4 overs at 9.50. CSK’s fielders took some cracking catches, but Bisla’s 89, which won him Player of the Match, and KKR’s fight broke the home crowd’s hearts.