Yusuf Pathan ensured Kolkata Knight Riders ended the league on a high by launching a blistering attack on the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers at Eden Gardens.
The tall all-rounder created Indian Premier League history by smashing the fastest 50 on way to his 22-ball 72 as Kolkata chased down 161 in 14.2 overs for a six-wicket win and seal the second spot in the standings.
Adam Gilchrist had held the record for the fastest IPL fifty scoring it off 17 balls in 2009 for Deccan Chargers, but Pathan improved upon it by reaching his 50 in 15 balls.
Kolkata’s victory not only knocked out Hyderabad from the play-off race but also pushed Chennai Super Kings to the third spot. It gives Kolkata two chances to reach the final as the loser of the first qualifier (played between the table topper and second-placed team) will lock horns with the winner of the Eliminator (played between third and fourth-placed teams) in the second qualifier.
The winner of Qualifier 1, though will get a direct entry to the final where they will meet the winners of the second qualifier.
Kolkata will meet Kings XI Punjab in Qualifier 1 at the Eden Gardens on Tuesday.
After being dropped twice – by Anirudha Srikkant on zero and Dale Steyn on 15 – Pathan grew in confidence and reserved his best for the South African world No1 pacer, bludgeoning 26 runs in his fourth over with an amazing scoring sequence of 4, 6, 6, 4, 4, 2.
Kolkata needed to chase 161 in 15.2 overs to knock Chennai off second place. When Yusuf Pathan walked in, they needed 106 from 47 balls.
By the time Pathan holed out for 72, the equation had come down to less than a run a ball. Kolkata beat Hyderabad with 34 balls left to play and upstaged Chennai to second with a cushion of six balls.
The tournament’s leading run-getter Robin Uthappa (41) and Gautam Gambhir (28) set up the chase before Yusuf’s blitz. It has been an incredible run for Kolkata who won their seventh match in succession after a poor start when they lost five of their first seven games.
Captain Gautam Gambhir was over the moon after a thrilling victory and was dazed by Pathan’s assault.
He said: “I have never seen this sort of innings in my career, unbelievable hitting, I can only dream of it, but I saw it in reality. “We always wanted to finish it in 15.2 overs, this is what we play cricket for.”
Pathan was delighted to get to scoring ways after a poor start which had resulted in just 18 runs from the first four matches in the UAE. In the last six innings, he has smashed 194 runs.
He said: “I hit form at the right time. It feels great when the ball hits the middle of the bat and travels a long way. This is my best innings.”
Hyderabad started the game with only a small chance of qualifying. Their selections – they left out Aaron Finch, and played Jason Holder and Anirudha, neither of whom had played earlier this season – and the general quality of their play only made it even more improbable.
In the end, they were left needing to bowl Kolkata out for 23 to overhaul Rajasthan’s net run rate. Earlier, a late flourish from skipper skipper Darren Sammy (29) had guided Hyderabad to 160 for seven.
Opener Shikhar Dhawan (29 from 31 balls) and Naman Ojha (26 from 23 balls) had set the platform with a quick 64-run stand from 46 balls.
