As KKR stared down a steep net run-rate mountain, one man stood tall
It was a night scripted for drama, where every ball had meaning and every second ticked louder than ever. On May 24, 2014, Kolkata Knight Riders weren’t just chasing 161 but racing the clock. To leap over Chennai Super Kings and grab second place on the table, they had to finish the job in just 15.2 overs. It wasn’t just a match, it was a mission against time. The stakes couldn’t be higher. As pressure mounted and the scoreboard crawled, Eden Gardens held its breath.
Then walked in Yusuf Pathan, bat in hand and belief in his stride. What followed wasn’t just a flurry of boundaries—it was a full-blown assault. In a whirlwind of 22 balls, Yusuf turned chaos into clarity and tension into a thunderous celebration. The night belonged to him. The moment became a memory. Eden Gardens didn’t witness a chase—it witnessed a storm.
The start wasn’t perfect. Kolkata lost their skipper, Gautam Gambhir, early. Uthappa tried to pick up the pace, threading drives with grace. Yet, after a flurry of wickets—Uthappa, Pandey, ten Doeschate—the chase stumbled. The runs weren’t coming quick enough. The tension thickened. Each dot ball was a reminder that time was slipping. From the dugout, nervous eyes watched as the pressure of qualification tightened its grip.
Yusuf Pathan came in with 106 needed from just 47 deliveries. Not easy. Not normal. But Yusuf didn’t believe in the usual. He was given two lives—both catches that should’ve ended his night early. Instead, they lit the spark. From a nervous beginning, he suddenly unleashed fury. A towering six over midwicket. A flurry of boundaries. He turned the impossible into probable. Eden began to rumble.
The 13th over changed everything. It was Dale Steyn with the ball—one of the best in the business. Yusuf didn’t care. The first ball disappeared for four. Then two balls flew over long-on for sixes. Another pull, another boundary. An edge raced past the keeper.
By the end of the over, Steyn’s figures were wrecked. The fastest fifty in IPL history was now Yusuf’s—15 balls of mayhem. Gilchrist’s old record was gone in smoke.
The match itself was a messy masterpiece. Hyderabad dropped chances—two of them off Yusuf. Their fielding cracked under pressure. Their selections raised eyebrows even before the game began. Finch was left out. Anirudha and Holder, who hadn’t played all season, were brought in.
Their batting stuttered despite a decent partnership between Dhawan and Ojha. Catches were shelled, run-outs missed, and Rasool bowled just one over—for 22 runs. Sunrisers looked like a side that didn’t believe. And Yusuf punished every moment of hesitation.
The job was nearly done as Yusuf walked back after smashing 72 off just 22 balls. The target that once looked like a mountain was now a gentle slope. Kolkata crossed the line in 14.2 overs. They didn’t just win the game—they secured second place and a crucial playoff advantage. A mad match had found its hero. A day that began with tension ended with triumph.
In IPL history, there are nights, and then there are storms. This was the latter. Yusuf’s bat became a hammer. His innings didn’t just rescue his team—it rewrote the record books. And in doing so, he reminded everyone that T20 isn’t just a game of technique. It’s about moments. And this moment? It belonged to Yusuf Pathan.
