A chat with McCullum, a call with SRK

In this new Cricbuzz series - Once upon an IPL final - we get some of the younger cricketers to retell tales of an IPL final they were part of. First up, is KKR's Manvinder Bisla and his stories from the title-winning season of 2012.

Going into IPL 2012, Manvinder Bisla knew chances were going to be far and few - especially with Brendon McCullum and Brad Haddin, the two overseas wicket-keeping options, in the squad. As it turned out, he only played seven of the 15 matches...

IPL 2012 was my third season and going in I felt I had prepared well for the tournament. I was playing 50-over cricket in Bangladesh before that and I had scored runs there, so I was confident of doing well. I had built up that confidence that if I get a chance to play, I will be able to perform.

We had Brendon McCullum in our side so he was keeping wickets and opening the batting. I finally got my chance in KKR's third game. The wicket in Bangalore was very good and fortunately, I started hitting the ball well from the start. Runs in the tournament make a massive difference to your confidence, and those 46 runs helped me a lot. But, after that, I wasn't able to convert my chances. I was not happy because I was hitting well but was not able to get runs. When you bat in the top three, you not only have to get big partnerships, you need to get big scores as well for the team. I was dropped twice during the tournament but I was happy that the team was doing well and we finished second on the points table.

KKR aced the league stage with ten wins from their 16 games. Gautam Gambhir and McCullum formed a formidable force at the top with the captain leading from the front and ending the tournament as the top run-getter. They were, however, up against the table-toppers in the first game of the knockouts and a side that beat them by eight wickets earlier in the tournament ...

We played Delhi Daredevils in the first Qualifier and had an easy win. Yusuf Pathan and Laxmi Ratan Shukla did well for us to ensure we had a chance at the trophy. We were very happy because as a team we had worked really hard to get there. What people don't know is that we didn't have big team meetings that season. But the focus was always on keeping things positive - positive feedback, positive points from the game. The focus always was on small things we can improve on. After the Qualifier too we had a small meeting but there were no big celebrations because there was a job to be done.

KKR eased past Daredevils in the Qualifier to seal their place in the final for the first time. But...

Unfortunately, in the Qualifier, Lakshmipathy Balaji got injured. That's when things started to change for me. I was never really told that I will be playing. Travel day went by and then one additional day. One day before the final, I was told to be ready but wasn't confirmed by the captain that I will be playing. They were thinking about combinations because Balaji was out of that game. They had to make a choice - to go with an Indian domestic fast bowler or an overseas pacer. We had Pradeep Sangwan and Mohammed Shami in the side. The other thought was they'll bring in Brett Lee because they wanted a wicket-taking option in the team, and in place of Brendon, they will go with an Indian batsman.

The excitement was building up but I didn't have a sleepless night before the final. I knew I was in good form even when I was not getting a hit in the nets. IPL's schedule is so packed that it's not easy for everyone to be in the nets. There's match day, then there's a travel day and then we play again. So practice sessions aren't very regular if there are no gaps. But then I was desperate for an opportunity as well. The morning of the final was just like a normal day. We had tried to establish that habit throughout the tournament - to keep things normal. We were just very confident of the combination that year, that the occasion or any team didn't bother us.

Since I didn't know if I was playing or not, I wasn't very nervous. I think that helped me. I was told just before the match so I didn't think too much about it. I didn't have time really. I hadn't played in a big final and if I had known, then that would have definitely impacted me and I would have started overthinking things.

The team meeting before the final was an emotional one for all of us. We were in the final for the first time and the families were excited as well. We were shown a video of all the family members wishing us before the final and it was quite emotional. When you see your parents, or your wife, in what was the biggest match of our lives, it's bound to get you charged up.

Taking on Chennai Super Kings in Chennai was never going to be easy. In the league game though, KKR had managed to beat them by five wickets. On the night of the final though, things went pear-shaped for them in the first half. Sunil Narine, KKR's most successful bowler, leaked 37 from his four overs and failed to pick up a wicket...

We were a bit disappointed when they posted 190. You start thinking that there's a big score in a final and you have to chase that. Add to that the track in Chennai, it favours teams batting first. It was definitely a setback for us. Gautam was in tremendous form in that season but he got out in the first over. When he was walking back, I said to myself that 'I have to see this through'. When I was keeping wickets I had realised that it wasn't a typical Chennai wicket and batting was going to be easy. But then you also have the pressure of chasing in a final in the back of your mind.

Jacques Kallis helped me settle in. As soon as he walked in, the first thing he said was 'take 2-3 overs and then we'll see how to go about it'. I started hitting well and the momentum started turning towards us. The partnership (136) was the best I've had. I think Kallis thought that I might lose my concentration so he was focussing on that. We didn't talk much about the chase but the focus was on staying out there.

In the 15th over, Bisla fell for a magnificent 48-ball 89. That left KKR with 50 off the last five overs. There was a wobble as KKR soon slipped to 164 for 4 from 139 for 1. Equation? 27 needed off 16 ...

Till the second last over, I was very confident that we were going to win. I remember there were seven balls remaining and Shakib al Hasan got out to a no-ball. He then scooped the free-hit for a four. When you need 15 in the final over, in a final, it's very difficult. But that shot reduced it to just nine. That no-ball changed the final. The thing with Chennai Super Kings is that they are very calm under pressure. They know what to do under pressure so to see that they were faltering a bit gave us belief.

Manoj Tiwary hit the winning runs with two consecutive fours off Dwayne Bravo to hand KKR a five-wicket victory...

It was so hot in Chennai that evening that once I got out, I was inside the dressing room. During the final over, I was standing with Brendon, Brett and Ryan ten Doeschate. After the winning runs were hit, we just sprinted out. No one knew where we were going, we were just running around. I can't describe that feeling or what was happening.

After the presentation ceremony was done, I was sitting in the dressing room and I was on a call with my father. That's when Shahrukh [Khan] came and asked me who I was calling. He took the phone and spoke to my father for about 15 minutes. My dad always used to ask me about how my team did. On that day, after speaking to Shahrukh, he was quite emotional and said he was very proud of me.

I still watch the highlights. People are always going to talk about that final and that innings but the thing that will stick with me always is the chat I had with Brendon. After I was dropped the first time in the tournament, I told him that I was frustrated that I wasn't able to score big runs. "Whatever has happened, has happened, you cannot change that. We believe you can do the job for us and you just need to focus on that," is what he had told me. Once things settled down, that was the chat I thought about and how important it was to have belief in your abilities. Even when I was dropped, I had that itch to earn my next opportunity and not think about negatives. I think that mindset changed things for me in the final.

As told to Akash Sarkar

Also read:How Shane Warne sledged a young CSK opener in the first IPL final