IPL 7 News, Updates and Live Scores
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Kolkata Knight Riders create new IPL record for longest winning streak
The IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders have re-created a record for the longest unbeaten run in IPL history by winning their 9th consecutive match on the trot.
They equlled the record last match with Kings XI Punjab, the team they toppled in the playoffs twice. It was an unbelieveable turnaround for the Kolkata based franchise to be winning 9 in a row after a below par start to the campaign. The Gambhir-led side suffered four straight losses after winning two out of their initial three fixtures. One of those four matches included a super-over as well.
Robin Uthappa discovered his form after making the transition to the top of the order two matches before they started winning and he carried on until the final, where he faltered. It all started from the match against Delhi Daredevils where the openers put on a century partnership to guide them to a target of 161. From then, on it was all one-way traffic.
Sunil Narine found valuable partners in Piyush Chawla and Shakib Al Hasan, to go with Umesh Yadav and Morne Morkel staying within acceptable economy rates. The pacers became better and better with every match and it proved to be vital in separating crucial opening stands of the oppositon teams in the playoffs.
It has to be noted that the record was only recently set by the Kings XI Punjab earlier in the season and ended with a defeat to Mumbai Indians. They won their last 3 games in 2013 before beginning this IPL 7 with a five back-to-back wins.
With the Knights Riders playing to the best of their abilities to break the ambitions of a maiden IPL title for Kings XI, they do have a chance to extend their run further when they open their campaign next season.
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This feels like a dream: Gambhir
It takes something very, very special to make Gautam Gambhir to smile. That intense and brooding face doesn’t light up for no good reason. But the last month has given Gambhir some absolutely stunning reasons to smile. He got back among runs, welcomed his baby girl into the world, led Kolkata Knight Riders to nine consecutive wins in Pepsi IPL 2014, culminating into their second IPL triumph and earned his place back in India’s Test squad.
So, in an interview with IPLT20.com after KKR’s three-wicket win over KIXP in the Final, Gambhir was pretty generous with his smile. He talked of his team’s truly marvelous rise from the early stages of struggles in the tournament and, like a true leader, spoke of the importance of having faith and trust in his teammates.
Here are excerpts from his interview:
What a month you’ve had, both professionally and personally.
Absolutely! From where we were after the first seven games, this feels like a dream. I was telling Vijay Dahiya last night that being here for the Final doesn’t seem real, it’s a dream. Not many people gave us a chance after the start we got. This is an unbelievable feeling.
The little baby girl is very lucky!
Oh, she is, and I am lucky to have her in my life. A lot of things have changed in my life for the better after her arrival.
What inspired this incredible turnaround?
We had the individuals in the dressing room to turn it around. The first couple of games that we lost, we should have really won them. But these things happen in a tournament like this and we truly believed that if we played to our potential, it would be difficult for any side to beat us.
A word on Robin Uthappa.
He has always been an opening batsman, and when things were not working well at the top of the order, we though we needed someone proactive and quick so that we can be aggressive from both ends. It worked very well.
Young Manish Pandey really stepped up to the plate for your guys in this tournament. He had slipped under the radar a bit for a few years. How did you get the best out of him?
Young players need the freedom to be able to express themselves, and I just gave him that freedom. In the last couple of games, he didn’t perform, but we still stuck with him in the Final and he delivered (94 off 50 balls). For me, faith and trust are two very strong words in my dictionary. If I believe in someone, I’ll back that person to the hilt. That’s what we did with Manish; we showed faith in him and gave him the No.3 batting position.
Another such case is that of Yusuf Pathan. Your unflinching faith in him has been vindicated.
People talk about the X-factor and he is that X-factor for our team. He will frustrate you and annoy you, but he will also win you games singlehandedly. You’ve got to be patient with such players. We have shown that patience with him, and this year he has rewarded us. He scored 36 today off 22, and even though people may not consider it, it was a very good contribution that had an impact on the outcome of the match.
iplt20.com
It takes something very, very special to make Gautam Gambhir to smile. That intense and brooding face doesn’t light up for no good reason. But the last month has given Gambhir some absolutely stunning reasons to smile. He got back among runs, welcomed his baby girl into the world, led Kolkata Knight Riders to nine consecutive wins in Pepsi IPL 2014, culminating into their second IPL triumph and earned his place back in India’s Test squad.
So, in an interview with IPLT20.com after KKR’s three-wicket win over KIXP in the Final, Gambhir was pretty generous with his smile. He talked of his team’s truly marvelous rise from the early stages of struggles in the tournament and, like a true leader, spoke of the importance of having faith and trust in his teammates.
Here are excerpts from his interview:
What a month you’ve had, both professionally and personally.
Absolutely! From where we were after the first seven games, this feels like a dream. I was telling Vijay Dahiya last night that being here for the Final doesn’t seem real, it’s a dream. Not many people gave us a chance after the start we got. This is an unbelievable feeling.
The little baby girl is very lucky!
Oh, she is, and I am lucky to have her in my life. A lot of things have changed in my life for the better after her arrival.
What inspired this incredible turnaround?
We had the individuals in the dressing room to turn it around. The first couple of games that we lost, we should have really won them. But these things happen in a tournament like this and we truly believed that if we played to our potential, it would be difficult for any side to beat us.
A word on Robin Uthappa.
He has always been an opening batsman, and when things were not working well at the top of the order, we though we needed someone proactive and quick so that we can be aggressive from both ends. It worked very well.
Young Manish Pandey really stepped up to the plate for your guys in this tournament. He had slipped under the radar a bit for a few years. How did you get the best out of him?
Young players need the freedom to be able to express themselves, and I just gave him that freedom. In the last couple of games, he didn’t perform, but we still stuck with him in the Final and he delivered (94 off 50 balls). For me, faith and trust are two very strong words in my dictionary. If I believe in someone, I’ll back that person to the hilt. That’s what we did with Manish; we showed faith in him and gave him the No.3 batting position.
Another such case is that of Yusuf Pathan. Your unflinching faith in him has been vindicated.
People talk about the X-factor and he is that X-factor for our team. He will frustrate you and annoy you, but he will also win you games singlehandedly. You’ve got to be patient with such players. We have shown that patience with him, and this year he has rewarded us. He scored 36 today off 22, and even though people may not consider it, it was a very good contribution that had an impact on the outcome of the match.
iplt20.com
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