Indian Premier League 2012
2012 · 9 teams · T20 cricket
Tournament Overview
Series Overview
The 2012 Indian Premier League — Season 5 — ended Kolkata Knight Riders' wait for their maiden title in the most dramatic fashion. KKR had been one of the IPL's most high-profile franchises yet had consistently underperformed relative to expectations, often serving as a byword for wasted potential. Under Gautam Gambhir — a captain who transformed his side through sheer force of will and tactical clarity — all of that changed. In the final at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai — effectively CSK's home ground — KKR were set 191 to win. Nobody gave them a chance. Manvinder Bisla had other ideas. The journeyman wicketkeeper-batsman smashed 89* off just 48 balls in one of the most remarkable finals innings ever played, carrying KKR to victory by 5 wickets with 7 balls to spare. The real tactical weapon all tournament had been Sunil Narine, the Trinidad spinner whose variations and economy rate had batsmen playing and missing in bewilderment. His 24 wickets and the Purple Cap were deserved — he had arrived in the IPL as a mystery act and departed as a champion.
Key Highlights
- 1Kolkata Knight Riders won their first-ever IPL title under Gautam Gambhir's inspiring leadership
- 2Sunil Narine won the Purple Cap with 24 wickets and redefined T20 off-spin with his mystery variations
- 3The final was played in Chennai — CSK's home — yet KKR won convincingly by 5 wickets
- 4Manvinder Bisla's blistering 89* off 48 balls in the final demolished CSK's bowling attack
- 5Deccan Chargers became Sunrisers Hyderabad, completing a franchise transformation that would produce future champions