Manvinder Bisla guided Kolkata Knight Riders to a thrilling victory against defending champions Chennai Super Kings in the final of the Indian Premier League.
Chasing a target of 191 for victory after Super Kings had made 190 for three, Bisla bludgeoned all before him to score 89 off 48 deliveries, sharing a stand of 136 with Jacques Kallis.
His dismissal left Knight Riders needing 52 off 32 balls, but their momentum appeared to have been stalled when they lost Laxmi Shukla and Yusuf Pathan. They entered the final over needing nine and Manoj Tiwary then hit successive boundaries off Darren Bravo to secure victory as they reached 192 for five with two balls remaining.
Chennai won the toss and elected to bat with Murali Vijay and Michael Hussey opening. The pair reached the halfway point at 84 without loss but Vijay fell two balls later for 42.
Hussey was a virtual spectator as Suresh Raina came in and sprayed runs all over and, with the score on 160, the former fell to Kallis, his 54 coming off 43 balls with the pair enjoying a stand of 73. Raina was then out with the final ball of the Super Kings' innings when he was caught by Brett Lee off Al Hasan - his 73 coming off just 38 balls.
Knight Riders made a poor start to their response, Gautam Gambhir falling to Ben Hilfenhaus for just two to leave Kolkata three for one.
However, after such a shaky opening they got into their groove, Bisla leading the way with 20 runs off the fourth over. Bisla then hit Ashwin for two sixes in three balls but immediately after was dropped at short fine-leg.
Bisla then brought up his 50 off 27 balls with a single off Shadab Jakati as Knight Riders reached the halfway point ahead on 100 for one.
However, Morne Morkel sent in a slower ball which Bisla attempted to hit over point but the shot was not well-timed and Subramaniam Badrinath stepped back to make the catch. Shukla was then caught by Hussey for three and Pathan by Badrinath for one as momentum stalled, the onus on Kallis who had to have medical treatment in the 18th over.
However, he was out from the fifth ball of the penultimate over, bowled for 69 off 49 by Hilfenhaus. Tiwary's boundary off Bravo saw Knight Riders require three off three and he hit another four to claim victory with two balls remaining.
