IPL: SRH win maiden IPL title, Virat retains Orange Cap

The stage was set for Virat Kohli and his RCB men as they were playing on their home ground with the crowd behind them.

The work was cut out for them. It was a case of so close yet so far.

Chasing a massive 209 runs in a big final for their maiden cup victory, RCB fell eight runs short as they managed 200 runs, losing seven batters.

Virat and Gayle started off well, forging a 114-run partnership for the maiden wicket, inside 11 overs.

Gayle, the Universe Boss was on song. After having a lack-lustre campaign in the recently concluded edition of the IPL, the big Jamaican saved his best for the last as he entertained the capacity crowd with some lusty blows.

Gayle hit eight sixes, the biggest of which was 99 metres, and four fours in his 38-ball innings of 76, before a slower ball from Cutting, who received the Man of the match trophy, paved his fall.

The burly Jamaican not only terrorised the SRH bowlers with his power hitting, but also allowed Virat Kohli to settle down, who was finding it difficult to time the ball in the initial phase of his innings.

Kohli, who scored 54 runs off 35 balls, was in some form during the 2016 edition of the IPL. He received the Orange Cap (Given to the highest run scorer in the tournament).

The RCB skipper may have missed out on a 1000-runs in a single edition of an IPL, but his four centuries along with seven 50 plus scores will take something special to go past.

Virat tried, like he has in so many matches for his side, but on the given day fell well short of the target. For someone who timed the ball to perfection through out the league stages, it's was an irony and too some poetic justice to see the man drag a ball to his stumps to get out, for the second consecutive time.

AB de Villiers, RCB's own Superman too failed to contribute anything more than just five runs. he mistimed one to the long-off boundary.

With the departure of the three, SRH, who were struggling at one point, came back strongly and never looked back.

Rahul (11), Watson (11), Baby (18 not out) and Binny (9), did hit the occasional boundary, but they were far from Gayle and Kohli's threatening lofted shots and drives.

In the end, the equation looked simple with RCB needing 30 odd from the last two overs, and they fell short.  

Cutting picked up two wickets.

Bipul Sharma, Mustafizur Rahman and Barinder Sran picked up a wicket each.

Winning the toss and opting to bat first, David Warner (69) and his side started off well, setting up a 63-run partnership for the opening wicket. SRH eventually managed 208 runs for the loss of seven wickets.

The SRH captain, who was in ominous form, scoring 90 odd runs in the last match to help his team reach the finals, started off from where he left in the previous match. The Aussie lost his partner Shihkar Dhawan (28), after the latter miscued a sweep shot and was caught at mid wicket, but kept going from the other end.

Warner's 38-ball innings consisted off eight fours and three maximums.

The RCB bowlers, touted as one of the most shabby unit with the ball, did little to disappoint their detractors. A leather hunt ensured in the middle as Warner and later Yuvraj (38) smacked them all over the park.

The Indian south paw hit two sixes, one off Chahal which travelled a mammoth 107 metres, but was the second longest hit of the night as coming down the order, Ben Cutting hit a massive 117 metres six, which went out of the stadium.

It was Cutting who cut loose in the slog overs as his late surge bolstered his side's score.

Cutting's 39 off 15 deliveries consisted off three fours and four sixes. he was particularly severe against compatriot Shane Watson, who he smacked for three sixes alone in the final over, setting his teams score to 208 runs.

Among the bowlers, Chris Jordan picked up three wickets but was expensive as he gave away 45 runs in his four overs.

Sreenath Aravind, who gave away 30 runs in his quota of four overs, accounted for a brace.

Yezvendra Chahal, added another wicket to his kitty to finish his campaign with 21 scalps. He finished second, behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who took home the Purple Cap (Given to player with the highest wickets in the tournament).