Finally, the final of IPL 2014 has been finalized!! IT’s Kolkata Knight Riders v/s Kings XI Punjab. Both the teams have battled hard for a place in the final of this year’s final and they deserve every bit of it. The Kolkata outfit booked their place in the final with a comfortable win over
Kings XI Punjab in the first qualifier. The Kolkata players seem in excellent spirits ahead of the showdown.
Kings XI Punjab stormed their way to the top of IPL 7 points table with 11 wins from their 14 league matches. Punjab may have lost to Kolkata Knight Riders in the first qualifier but the solitary blemish in their otherwise fantastic performance can make the side even more determined.
The game promises to be a fitting end to an enthralling IPL campaign. Both sides look incredibly well matched on paper, and after meeting each other in the first qualifier just days ago, it’ll be intriguing to see how they fare when tackling each other for the second time in quick succession.
In that first game between the two sides, it was Robin Uthappa who shone once again for Kolkata, notching a record 10th consecutive score of 40 or more in the IPL.
One man who knows all about making those kinds of big scores is Virender Sehwag, who will open the batting for Kings XI. With the pressure on to make a positive start in what was effectively a semi-final against the Chennai Super Kings, Sehwag rose to the occasion.
Sehwag and Uthappa will set the tone for their team’s batting efforts at the top of the order, and so much could hinge on how they perform. If Uthappa can continue to play with forensic consistency, then he’ll provide a strong foundation for his team, but if Sehwag gets on a roll, the 35-year-old can win a match almost singlehandedly.
The importance of this clash is clearly evident by looking at the situation regarding the Kolkata bowler Sunil Narine. The West Indian international has decided to play for the Knight Riders in the final instead of his country, putting his chances with the national team at risk.
Narine has taken 20 wickets in the tournament so far, and he’ll be the key if Kolkata Knight Riders desires to stall the Kings XI’s stellar batting line-up, containing the big-hitting foursome of Sehwag, Glenn Maxwell, David Miller and George Bailey.
Despite Kolkata coming out on top in the first eliminatory, given that batting pedigree you’d have to plump for the Punjab side in this final. In Sehwag and Maxwell, they have two players who can accumulate runs quickly at the top of the order, whilst the likes of Bailey and Miller can crank up the scoring in the latter stages.
Uthappa is obviously in fine form for Kolkata, but it’s yet to be seen whether he can spur his team on to victory in a manner comparable to the destructing quartet of Punjab.
Expect a big knock from a Kings XI man to make the difference and pave the way for their maiden IPL triumph.
