My Science School

Here, we will sharpen our sports quotient by taking a look at one iconic moment from sporting history. With the last week of league phase action of IPL 2022 ahead of us, here's a look at the last league match from 2014 which saw Mumbai Indians sneak through into the play-offs...

The odds were stacked against Mumbai Indians (MI) when they took the field against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the last league game of the 2014 season. Playing at home, MI decided to chase, aware that they not only had to win, but reach the target in 14.3 overs to edge ahead of RR in net run rate as well and dinch the fourth and final play-off spot.

Sanju Samson scored a 47-ball 74. Karun Nair hit a 27-ball 50 and RR posted a mammoth first innings total of 189 for four. The target of 190 was huge and getting there in 14.3 overs seemed impossible.

MI, however, came out all guns blazing. Corey Anderson, brought into the playing 11 for his hitting prowess, was central to MI's chase. He was unbeaten on 95 from 44 deliveries when he found himself in the non-strikers end with MI needing eight off two balls to reach the target in 14.3 overs.

Ambati  Rayudu hit a six to bring the equation down to two from a ball, but was run out running the second run, leaving MI on 189 in 14.3 overs. Just when it seemed they had fallen just short, it was conveyed that a boundary off the next ball would still see MI through.

Aditya Tare hit a six off the only ball he faced in the match and MI reached 195 for five in 14.4 overs in their chase of 190, winning in spectacular fashion and progressing to the IPL 2014 play-offs.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Corey Anderson's 44-ball 95 included nine 4s and six 6s.
• Despite making it to the play-offs in stunning fashion, Mumbai Indians failed at the first hurdle thereafter, losing to Chennai Super Kings in the Eliminator.
• Kolkata Knight Riders won the title in 2014, lifting the trophy for a second time.

Picture Credit : Google 

The Indian Premier League was played for the first time in 2008 and saw three hat-tricks in the first season itself. The first of those was taken by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Lakshmipathy Balaji.

In the match between CSK and Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) on May 10, 2008 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Punjab won the toss and elected to field first. Even though CSK were in a spot of bother at 64 for three, fifties from S Badrinath and MS Dhoni helped them post 181 for four in their 20 overs. Punjab were on track at the end of 12 overs, as they were 95 for 2 in their chase of 182. In the space of five balls, however, Balaji dismissed both their set batsmen - Ramnaresh Sarwan (20) off the first ball of the 13th over and opener Shaun Marsh (38-ball 58) off the fifth ball.

Having derailed Punjab's chase, Balaji added more gloss to his figures with the first ever IPL hat-trick.

Bowling the final over of the match, Balaji dismissed Irfan Pathan, Piyush Chawla and Vikram Singh of the third, fourth and fifth deliveries for his hat-trick. CSK won the match by 18 runs.

DID YOU KNOW?

L Balaji, who finished with figures of 5 for 24 from his four overs, was declared the player of the match.

Including Yuzvendra Chahal's hat-trick in the ongoing season, there have been 21 hat-tricks in the IPL so far, taken by 18 bowlers.

Amit Mishra is the only bowler to have taken three hat-tricks in the IPL Yuvraj Singh comes second with two hat-tricks. The remaining 16 bowlers have taken one hat-trick each in the IPL.

Picture Credit : Google 

The 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was completed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after the tournament had been suspended abruptly due to the pandemic situation in India.

The last time a part of the IPL was played in the UAE (the entire 2020 edition was played in the UAE) was in 2014. The first 20 matches of the 2014 edition were played in UAE as the tournament took place at the same time as the 2014 Indian general elections. At the end of the group stages of the 2014 tournament. Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) finished on top with 11 wins and 22 points. Both Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) finished with 18 points, but KKR had a better net run rate and hence finished second.

Mumbai Indians (MI) took the final play-off position with 14 points and a superior run rate than Rajasthan Royals. KKR defeated KXIP in the first qualifier by 28 runs to progress to the final. CSK defeated MI by seven wickets in the eliminator to make it to the Qualifer 2 against KXIP. The high-scoring thriller in Qualifier 2 finished in KXIP'S favour, who won the match by 24 runs to earn a place in the final.

Chasing 200 against KXIP to win the final, KKR did the unthinkable, winning by three wickets and just three balls remaining. KKR won the 2014 title to win the IPL for a second time.

DID YOU KNOW?

Losing finalist Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) produced the player of the tournament. Glenn Maxwell won the award for his batting fireworks through the tournament.

The Orange Cap went to a player from the champions Kolkata Knight Riders. KKR'S Robin Uthappa took the honour with 660 runs from 16 matches.

 The Purple Cap went to Chennai Super Kings' Mohit Sharma. Mohit finished with 23 wickets from 16 matches.

Picture Credit : Google