KPL 2018 | Bijapur Bulls players rated in seven-wicket final win against Bangalore Blasters
Bharath Chipli’s Bijapur Bulls emerged victorious in the final of KPL 2018 as they beat Robin Uthappa-led Bangalore Blasters by seven wickets in Mysore. Naveen MG and KP Appanna were the stars in the game as they ensured that Bijapur Bulls became the first team to win two KPL trophies.
Naveen MG ( 8.5/10): What a breakthrough season it has been for the young all-rounder in this season of the KPL. A stunning performance in the final has seen Naveen pick up a maiden wicket over while also scoring a blistering knock of 43 from 31 balls to lead his side to a win. Take a bow, lad!
Bharath Chipli (6/10): Not the best game for the winning skipper with the bat, but still, he got the job done with ease. Chipli has been Influential all throughout the tournament and has been the team’s leading run-scorer for the second year running. The Bulls bag their second KPL trophy under his leadership. Aye aye captain!
Mir Kaunain Abbas (6/10): Stayed like a solid rock till the win while wickets fell at the other end. Abbas has cemented his place in the middle-order with some concrete performances towards the latter stages of the tournament. A truly smart buy by the franchise this year.
Rishabh Singh (6/10): Singh did not have much to do in the final. Came into the team in the place of the dismal Shishir Bhavane, but as it turns out, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway.
KL Shrijith (7/10): Didn’t contribute much with the bat, when offered the chance. However, was solid in the field. Was involved in a run-out and also took a spectacular catch behind the stumps to dismiss the dangerman - Robin Uthappa.
KN Bharath (6/10): Ended the match with a bang. A blistering 21 off seven balls sealed the win for the Bijapur-based franchise. Wham, bam, thank you
Suneel Raju (6/10): Did not feature with the bat this time around, but chipped in with a fine bowling performance to restrict the Bangalore Blasters batsmen from scoring the big runs. With an economy rate of just under five from three overs, Raju did what his skipper asked him to. Job well
Bhavesh Gulecha (7/10): One of the players to have benefitted from the exclusion of Zahoor Farooqui from the team, Gulecha justified his inclusion once more as he put in a magnificent display of some good fast-bowling. He picked up the wicket of Arshdeep Singh and was a constant threat to the opponent batsmen, barely gave away runs too. Watch out for this one next year.
KC Cariappa (7/10): Star-spinner, Cariappa, was integral to tonight’s brilliant bowling display by the 2018 champions. He claimed the wicket of RR batsman - Shreyas Gopal and only gave 13 runs off his four overs. IPL franchises will surely be keeping a close watch on the youngster’s exploits this year.
KP Appanna (8.5/10): The difference from finishing second and finishing first, can often be a single individual. Arguably, that single person in the final was spinner KP Appanna. Just like the semis, Appanna was dangerous in the final as well. Three wickets from four overs with an economy rate of just four is that brilliant or what!
Suraj Kamath (5/10): It seemed like the pressure got to him tonight. Playing in his first final of the KPL, Kamath was the only stain on an otherwise