Cricket: "Yousuf Pathan Steals Rajasthan a thriller with super over"

Hey let me ask you one question did you thought that the match between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Dare Devils was the best match till date?... If that was the best match then the match between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders at Newlands, Cape Town was the mother of best matches. Yeah i am not kidding just read on......

It is indeed the best match of this IPL season and first tie. Yousuf Pathan showed why Rajasthan Royals are the defending champions. It was one of the elctrifying, thriller, call it what ever you want... but this was the most astonishing match of the tournment.

Kolkatta Knight Riders won the toss and elected to field first. They complimented their call with two early wickets with not much on the board. Score was reading 14 for 2 of 2.2 overs and Yousuf pathan came to crease. He didnt bother about the wickets and continued his natural game and took score to 70 for 2 of 8 overs. Yousuf scored 42 of 21 with 6 boundaries and 2 over it. Thats when disastor stuck rajasthan. Mendis was introduced in 9th over and he striked twice in that over to remove smith and pathan and rajasthan fell apart. Jadeja and Mascarenhas consolidated with some slow partnership and Raut chipped in which a quick fire 21 at end which included 1 boundary and 2 over it. Rajasthan made a below par 150 of their stipulated 20 overs.

Kolkatta started rather cautiously and with McCullum playing slowly against his attacking instincts where as gayle was at his fluent best scoring heavily. Rajsathan had the first blood in the form of Mccullum. Mascarenhas removed him for 3 of 9 balls and score was reading 25 for 1 of 4 overs. Gayle scored a quick fire 41 of 33 balls which included 2 boundaries and 4 over it. Once he departed of warne bowling Kolkata kept loosing wickets at regular intervals and the runrate was climbing up. Once Ganguly came to crease he made sure that Kolkata were in hunt till the end. Ganguly and Yashpal added 49 runs for the 6th wicket before yashpal was foxed by captain warne in the penultimate over. Kolkatta required 7 of last 6 balls and ball was handed over to kamran khan. Warne showed immense faith in this yound lad by handing over the ball to him to finish the game. He kept his captains faith with a tight line and lenght. He even even took the wicket of ganguly of the penultimate ball and made sure that kolkatta didnt won and the game was tied.

According to the new rules if their is a tie each team should play a super over. Which ever team scores more runs will win the match. Kolkatta had to bat first and they choosed Gayle, McCullum and Ganguly as their batsmen and the bowler for super over for Rajasthan was the man with golden arm for the day "Kamran Khan". For Rajsthan Yousuf Pathan, Jadeja and Warne will bat where as Mendis will bowl the super over for Kolkatta.

Kamran started of well but gave three consecutive boundaries to gayle and kolkatta managed a good 15 of their alloted one super over. Yousuf pathan came into bat the super over for rajasthan royals and mendis was to bowl for kolkatta. Mendis first ball was easily lofted to long on for an easy six and next ball was pulled ferociously for another six and tried for a hattrick with 3rd ball but couldnt connect the ball well and collected 2 runs and next ball was hammered for 4 and yousuf pathan sealed the match in just 4 balls. It was an nail bitting finish to a pulsating match.

Man of the Match was awarded to Yousuf Pathan for his 42 of 21 balls and electrifying 18 of super over to win the match. It was a perfect and Unanimous decision to make.

Kolkata Knight Riders 150 for 8 (Ganguly 46, Gayle 41, Kamran 3-18) tied with Rajasthan Royals 150 for 6 (Yusuf 42, Mendis 2-19). Rajasthan win in Super Over