Scoring runs in a knockout game defines you as a player. Semi-finals and Finals are the games in which if you score runs, people will remember you. Players are under pressure in Finals and so it is important to deliver under pressure. It is not an easy job because you know that if you don’t score runs in this game then you might not win that trophy. Recently we saw the IPL Final and a few batsmen scored runs whereas some succumbed to pressure.
In the 13 Finals of the IPL, four wicket-keepers have scored fifty or more in an IPL Final. Coincidentally, three of those four have ended up on the losing side. Let’s see who are the wicket-keepers and who ended up on the losing side.
4. Rishabh Pant – 56 off 38 balls vs MI
Rishabh Pant became the latest entrant in this list as he scored a fifty against Mumbai Indians in IPL 2020. He came in at a difficult stage when DC was 22-3 inside the powerplay. He took his time and then started hitting some boundaries.
He hadn’t done anything in this year’s IPL and it was important for him to score some runs in the Final. He got out at the wrong time as DC couldn’t accelerate after his dismissal and as a result, they could reach a below-par total which was chased down easily by the Mumbai Indians.
3. MS Dhoni – 63* off 45 balls vs MI
In the 2013 IPL Final, CSK had restricted Mumbai Indians to a chasable score of 148-9 in their 20 overs. Chasing 149, CSK was in deep trouble as they got reduced to 3-3. After a while, the scoreboard read 35-4 with only a few batsmen remaining.
MS Dhoni came in to bat what the wickets continued to fall at the other end. Dhoni was the lone warrior as he scored 63 off 45 balls with three fours and five sixes. He tried his best and was there till the end but CSK eventually fell short by 23 runs.
2. Manvinder Bisla – 89 off 48 balls vs CSK in 2012
KKR’s pace bowler Lakshimpathy Balaji got injured so they had to bring in Brett Lee which meant that Brendon McCullum their wicket-keeper had to sit out to balance the four overseas quota. As a result, the uncapped Manvinder Bisla got a chance to be a part of the XI in the IPL Final. CSK batted first and scored 190-3 which seemed to be more than enough with the scoreboard pressure in the Final.
Manvinder Bisla came out to open with Gautam Gambhir, and he started smashing the bowlers to all the parts of the park. He went onto score 89 off 48 balls with eight fours and five sixes as KKR chased down the total in 19.4 overs which meant they won their first IPL trophy. Bisla is the only wicket-keeper who has scored a fifty and ended up on the winning side.
1. Wriddhiman Saha – 115* off 55 balls vs KKR in 2014
Kings XI Punjab was playing their first IPL Final and it was against Kolkata Knight Riders who had won the IPL in 2012. KXIP batted first and they lost a couple of early wickets as Sehwag and Bailey were dismissed. Wriddhiman Saha came into bat at 30-2 and it seemed as if KXIP would end up with a below-par total but Saha had different plans. After the 12 over mark, Saha just took on each and every bowler from the KKR team and went on to smash his first IPL century. He was unbeaten on 115 off just 55 balls with ten fours and eight sixes to his name.
He just took apart Sunil Narine who was KKR’s best bowler as he had the figures of 4-0-46-1. KXIP ended up with 199-4 in their 20 overs and it seemed as if they would lift the IPL trophy for the first time but KKR chased it down and won their second IPL title.
