The 2016 edition of the Indian Premier League is most remembered for Virat Kohli’s spectacular run of form. But there are also other important reasons to remember the season. One of them is that the Royal Challengers Bangalore qualified for an IPL final third time in 2016.
They were in touching distance of an IPL trophy but were unable to get there. The final of this edition broke the hearts of millions of RCB fans. This blog rewinds the exciting happenings of one of the closest IPL finals.
So let’s get right into it.
Background
The Royal Challengers Bangalore were a part of IPL from its inaugural season. In 2009 they played the final of the league but lost to the Deccan Chargers. 2 years later, they got to the final yet again. But they were unable to cross the finishing line this time as well.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad were introduced in the cash-rich league as a new team in 2013. They replaced the Deccan Chargers side in the tournament. 2016 was the first time when they made it to the final.
Summary of the League Phase
Gujarat Lions topped the points table in the league stage. They picked 18 points from their 14 matches. The Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Kolkata Knight Riders tied on the points. Each team got 16 points, but RCB secured the second position due to a better run rate.
RCB lost 5 out of their first 8 league matches. Then, they were defeated in one of the two upcoming matches. With just four wins in 10 games, they were on the verge of elimination. However, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers inspired them to 4 straight wins, and they finished in the second position.
Playoff Stage
The playoff phase began with the first qualifier between the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Lions. Shane Watson’s terrific 4-fer allowed RCB to restrict GL to 158. In response, Dhawal Kulkarni destroyed Bangalore’s top order. He took 4 wickets inside the powerplay, and RCB were in tatters at 29 for 5. AB de Villiers played an extraordinary innings of 79 runs in 47 deliveries to give his team an unlikely 4-wicket win.
In the first eliminator, Sunrisers Hyderabad posted 162 for 8 against the Kolkata Knight Riders. Yuvraj Singh scored 44 off 30, while Kuldeep Yadav picked 3 wickets. KKR fell short of the total by 22 runs as Bhuvneshwar Kumar returned with the figures of 3 for 19 in 4 overs. Then, Gujarat Lions set SRH a target of 163 runs to qualify for the final. Aaron Finch hit 50 off 32 while Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ben Cutting picked 2 wickets each. In reply, David Warner’s high-class innings of 93 off 58 gave Hyderabad a 4-wicket victory.
IPL 2016 Final
Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and opted to bat first.
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1st Innings
The first over of the match brought just one boundary. Surprisingly Chris Gayle was thrown the ball for the second over. He created a caught-and-bowl opportunity but couldn’t hold on to it. David Warner got himself going by hitting a couple of consecutive boundaries in the third over. Dhawan also joined the party by picking a boundary off Chris Gayle’s bowling.
RCB’s best bowler of the previous game, Shane Watson, was brought into the attack for the fourth over. His fellow countryman David Warner greeted him with a maximum first ball. Two balls later, he was hit for another 6, this time by Shikhar Dhawan. The Aussie smashed another maximum on the final ball of the 6th over to end the powerplay at 59 for 0.
Yuzvendra Chahal got the ball straight after the field restrictions were lifted. He struck in his first over by getting the wicket of Dhawan. The Hyderabad captain kept attacking the opposition’s bowlers and brought up his half-century in just 24 balls. In the 10th over, Chris Jordan dismissed Moises Henriques to get the second wicket for Bangalore. Yuvraj Singh was the next man in, and he announced his arrival by thrashing a 4 and a 6 in the first 7 deliveries he faced.
David Warner was looking exceedingly dangerous, and the bowling team desperately needed to see the back of him. Sreenath Aravind produced the key wicket in the 14th over. Warner got out after playing an incredible knock of 69 runs in just 38 balls. Yuvraj Singh was unfazed by this dismissal, and he continued his dominance.
However, he and Deepak Hooda then Departed in quick succession. Yuvi made 38 off 23. Naman Ojha was run out in the 18th over, and with 16 balls left in the innings, the scorecard read 158 for 6. Ben Cutting got going, and the next 10 deliveries resulted in 26 runs. Shane Watson was given the last over of the innings.
The over started with the four, and a couple of massive sixes followed. The next two deliveries went for singles, but the over was concluded with another maximum. The final over went for 24 runs, and Sunrisers Hyderabad finished with 208 for 7. Ben Cutting whacked 39 off just 15, while Chris Jordan bagged three scalps.
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2nd Innings
A target of 209 runs was never going to be easy, even for the best batting side of the tournament. Virat Kohli picked the first boundary of the innings in the opening over. Then Chris Gayle got the first maximum of the chase in the next over. The left-hander plundered a couple of sixes and a four in the fourth over. Like Hyderabad, Bangalore also ended the powerplay at a score of 59 for 0.
Moises Henriques bowled the first over after the powerplay, and Gayle deposited him into the stands straightaway. This six also brought up his 50 in just 25 balls. The Gayle Storm didn’t stop as he hammered two massive sixes and a four on the last 3 deliveries of the 9th over. That over from Henriques went for 21 runs, and RCB were 100 for 0 after 9 overs. The next over from Mustafizur Rahman began with a four and a 6 from Kohli.
The 114-run opening stand was finally broken as Ben Cutting got the priced scalp of Chris Gayle. The Caribbean played an extraordinary innings of 78 runs in just 38 balls. On the other end, Kohli kept finding boundaries at will. He got to his 32-ball half-century with a stunning six over extra cover. RCB were in a commanding position at that stage with 73 to get in 46 deliveries and 9 wickets in hand.
Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers were at the crease, and the likes of Shane Watson, KL Rahul, Stuart Binny, and Chris Jordan were sitting in the dugout. But Virat’s wicket in the same over opened a gate for the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
AB de Villiers followed him in the next over after scoring just 5. Shane Watson picked a maximum in the 15th over to keep the hopes alive. But he and Rahul also departed soon, and the equation was 45 off 22. Stuart Binny and Sachin Baby kept trying, but they were left with 30 to get off the last two overs. Mustafizur Rahman gave just 6 runs off the first five deliveries of the penultimate over. The over ended with a maximum, but the last over needed to go for 18 for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar held his nerves to drive his side to an 8-run win. Ben Cutting was the Player of the Final. After hitting 39 off just 15, he picked the all-important wickets of Chris Gayle and KL Rahul. Sunrisers Hyderabad got their first IPL trophy, while RCB’s dream was shattered yet again.
Scorecard
Here’s the IPL 2016 final scorecard:
Sunrisers Hyderabad Innings
| BATTING | Runs | Balls | SR | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Warner (c) | 69 | 38 | 181.57 | 8 | 3 |
| Shikhar Dhawan | 28 | 25 | 112 | 3 | 1 |
| Moises Henriques | 4 | 5 | 80 | 0 | 0 |
| Yuvraj Singh | 38 | 23 | 165.21 | 4 | 2 |
| Deepak Hooda | 3 | 6 | 50 | 0 | 0 |
| Ben Cutting | 39 | 15 | 260 | 3 | 4 |
| Naman Ojha † | 7 | 4 | 175 | 1 | 0 |
| Bipul Sharma | 5 | 3 | 166.66 | 1 | 0 |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 1 | 1 | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| Extras | 14 | ||||
| TOTAL | 208/7 | ||||
| Bowling | Overs | Economy | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 4 | 6.25 | 25 | 0 |
| Barinder Sran | 3 | 13.66 | 41 | 1 |
| Ben Cutting | 4 | 8.75 | 35 | 2 |
| Mustafizur Rahman | 4 | 9.25 | 37 | 1 |
| Moises Henriques | 3 | 13.33 | 40 | 0 |
| Bipul Sharma | 2 | 8.5 | 17 | 1 |
Royal Challengers Bangalore Innings
| BATTING | Runs | Balls | SR | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Gayle | 76 | 38 | 200 | 4 | 8 |
| Virat Kohli (c) | 54 | 35 | 154.28 | 5 | 2 |
| AB de Villiers | 5 | 6 | 83.33 | 0 | 0 |
| KL Rahul † | 11 | 9 | 122.22 | 1 | 0 |
| Shane Watson | 11.00 | 9.00 | 122.22 | 0 | 1 |
| Sachin Baby | 18.00 | 10.00 | 180 | 1 | 1 |
| Stuart Binny | 9.00 | 7.00 | 128.57 | 0 | 1 |
| Chris Jordan | 3.00 | 4.00 | 75 | 0 | 0 |
| Iqbal Abdulla | 4.00 | 2.00 | 200 | 1 | 0 |
| Extras | 9.00 | ||||
| TOTAL | 200/7 | ||||
| Bowling | Overs | Economy | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sreenath Aravind | 4 | 7.5 | 30 | 2 |
| Chris Gayle | 3 | 8 | 24 | 0 |
| Shane Watson | 4 | 15.25 | 61 | 0 |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | 4 | 8.75 | 35 | 1 |
| Iqbal Abdulla | 1 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| Chris Jordan | 4 | 11.25 | 45 | 3 |
