Bailey appreciates consistent KKR in ipl final2014
KXIP captain also emphasises on doing the basics right
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| ipl final 2014 |
While the Kings XI Punjab have been one of the most consistent
performers of Pepsi Indian Premier League 2014, the Kolkata Knight
Riders have proven their mettle by turning things around for themselves
in the second half of the tournament. Their clash in the Final will
indeed be a great game to watch.
Both teams will be facing off
for the fourth time this season, with KKR having won two of their
previous three encounters. The Punjab franchise, who have made it to the
IPL Final for the first time, have done so on the back of some
magnificent performances – the most recent of which came against Chennai
Super Kings in Qualifier 2.
Most of KXIP’s wins have been set
up by their explosive batting line-up with Glenn Maxwell taking apart
the opposition in the first half of the tournament, while Virender
Sehwag decimating bowling attacks in the latter half. David Miller and
captain George Bailey, amongst others, are known for their hard-hitting
abilities and form a formidable batting line-up. However, KKR have shown
that they can restrict KXIP on the batting front. Even KXIP’s bowling,
led by Mitchell Johnson, will be tested by the in-form Robin Uthappa-led
KKR line-up once again in the grand finale.
Both captains,
Bailey and KKR’s Gautam Gambhir, jointly addressed the media in
Bengaluru ahead of the all-important clash. Asked how they sized up the
opposition, both captains said that they would focus more on their own
games. Bailey told the media, “In Twenty20, it is dangerous to worry too
much about the opposition. I think both teams would be very comfortable
with their own side and the ability that they have within that. Both
teams will be very much focused on playing the game that they want to
play and hoping that’s good enough.”
“From our point of view,
looking at KKR, the way they have played their last several matches –
nearly right throughout the tournament – we appreciate it, and it’s
something we have talked about as a group is to have as small a gap as
possible between your best game and your worst game. I would take my hat
off to them. They have been very consistent right throughout in all
three departments.”
Both the captains also agreed that it is a
team’s all-round performance that takes them into the final of this
high-profile tournament. Speaking about his side’s bowling, Bailey
observed, “The last I checked I think our team had taken the most
wickets as well. That has certainly been very important for us. The
really hard thing I think to judge is if you get a high score or if you
chase down a high score, how do you ascertain your bowling. I think
depending upon how the wicket is, both sides will be happy with their
batting sides and both teams will be happy with their bowling sides. And
I don’t think you can win matches with one-half of the team doing well.
You need every department to do well.”
Speaking about Sehwag’s
run in the tournament, which reached its high point in Qualifier 2,
against CSK, with a century, the KXIP captain said, “I think everyone
has been a bit harsh on him. I think he has actually played some
beautiful innings for us. He hasn’t scored the big score that we would
have liked to see from him. I think he scored a nice 70-odd against KKR
in Cuttack earlier in the season. He has got some beautiful 30s and 40s.
The way he bats, he forces the opposition to think about how they are
going to bowl to him and to think about changing their plans. He is in
beautiful touch and also the thing to measure him on is how much he has
helped in grooming Manan Vohra. We have seen a young player develop,
maturing along with Viru yesterday. That partnership was very important
and together I think they have had some great partnerships. It was just
vintage stuff from the master.”
Reflecting on the big show,
Maxwell, who has seemed out of form during the business end of the
tournament, Bailey said, “I always feel form is a bit of weird thing
with T20. The pleasing thing for us is that if Maxi gets out, he doesn’t
waste any balls. When he is not getting big scores for us, he normally
hits a six and gets out. I still think he is hitting the ball really
beautifully, and it’s just a matter of him getting through the first
couple of balls, and then he is away. It’s the same with any batsman in
any side.”
“The really pleasing thing for us is that we know
what he is capable of. We have seen that a number of times throughout
the tournament, he is one of the main reasons that we have been able to
get to the Final. And once again, not just the way he has played, but
the belief that he has instilled in the rest of the team about what’s
possible and what the standard is for us guys with the bat and in the
field, they have been something quite special for our team.”
Asked
about the pressure of playing the Final, Bailey replied, “There is only
as much pressure as you put on yourself. The expectations from both
teams is that they will be looking to win. But there will be no more
pressure than any other game. As much as it sounds clichéd and boring,
we are not going to go out with any brand new tactics. As a team, we
will try to go out and do the same things. In some ways, the bigger the
game, the more it is just about doing the basics as well as you can.”
Veer (Kolkata Knight Riders) vs Zaara (Kings XI Punjab): Love in an Indian Premier League Final2014!
If you like love stories, you will never want to miss this year's Indian Premier League final. This time, apart from being Bollywood Badshah Shah Rukh Khan's Kolkata Knight Riders versus glam doll Preity Zinta's Kings XI Punjab, the IPL final is also making headlines as the immortalised Veer vs Zaara. What's more? The Veer vs Zaara hashtag is already trending on Twitter and is being used by Twitteratis very frequently along with every IPL talk.
The movie, which is based on Squadron Leader Veer Pratap Singh (Shah Rukh) going to Pakistan to meet his love interest Zaraa Khan (Preity Zinta), takes an unexpected turn when Veer is implicated as a RAW agent and ends up spending 22 years in prison.
Shah Rukh was overjoyed when KKR earned a spot in the IPL 2014 final after beating Kings XI Punjab by 28 runs in the first qualifier. The tournament is one of the most popular sporting events not just in India but across the world.
Zinta, whose team Punjab will contest their first ever IPL final this year, was ecstatic after Kings XI beat the Chennai Super Kings by 24 runs on Friday in a match dominated by Virender Sehwag's 58-ball 122. She expressed it all on Twitter!
Shah Rukh's Kolkata Knight Riders have already won the IPL title in 2012. Having won eight games in-a-row this year, the Knights have been unstoppable with Yusuf Pathan getting back to his best and Sunil Narine ruling the roost among the bowlers.
Kings XI Punjab, on the other hand, are in the form of their life with Glenn Maxwell hitting bowlers out of the park on almost every ball with his fancy reverse sweeps and scoops. South African star David Miller and Aussie skipper George Bailey have added muscle to the team with their T20 skills.
However, for many Bollywood fans in India, the final will center around Shah Rukh vs Preity Zinta or Veer vs Zaara. Some are also calling it a 'Bollywood final'.
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