IPL 2016: Virat Wins The Heart SRH Wins The Title

Victory for the Sunrisers Hyderabad would not have been possible without the cohesive team effort with everyone pitching in...

- Sreelata S. Yellamrazu

Two teams with terrific journeys headed into one final battle for supremacy. In a classic tale of the triumph of the underdogs, the Sunrisers Hyderabad put up a mind blowing performance at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to vanquish the equally resurgent favourites, the Royal Challengers Bangalore, for the title of the Indian Premier League champions in 2016.

A SEASON FOR COMEBACKS

Third time proved no charm for the Royal Challengers Bangalore who came excruciating close – losing by only eight runs in the end chasing 209 for victory - but could not surpass the exuberance and dynamism of the hungrier Sunrisers Hyderbad at the final hurdle. On the face of it, the road for the Sunrisers Hyderabad and for the Royal Challengers Bangalore bore uncanny resemblance in IPL’s ninth edition. Much like the IPL 2016 season that started out languid in the shadow of the ICC World Twenty20 2016, both teams really came into their own only a month into the tournament’s round robin stage.

Led by powerhouse batsmen-captains in Australia’s David Warner and India’s Virat Kohli, the teams shrugged off their indolence and moved into serious reckoning, successfully chasing every challenge that became a knockout in the context of making the final. However, the Sunrisers Hyderabad had one additional ace up their sleeve and in the edgeof-the-seat clash for ultimate supremacy, it proved to be the decisive weapon, sharpened over the season to reap dividends when it mattered most.