Dubai: Eden Gardens, the venue for the final of the eighth edition of the Indian Premier League isn’t the home ground of either the Mumbai Indians or Chennai Super Kings but is undoubtedly the best venue for a title clash. Kolkata, known as the ‘City of Joy’, has the honour of hosting the final as per an IPL rule that accords the previous winner due respect when alloting the venue for the title match. Though defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders did not make it to the final this time, the excitement for the final will be no less in this cricket-mad city. The die-hard fans of the game will savour every moment of the exciting battle as they are also known as one the world’s most knowledgable supporters of the game.
A fresh track has been prepared for the final and looks markedly different from what the ground has traditionally offered. The ground staff have announced that the pitch may not help spinners although both sides have top-class spinners in Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin. Whether it will help pacers will be known when Mumbai’s fearsome Lasith Malinga gets into the mix.
Malinga’s deadly spell in the 2013 final, when he uprooted Michael Hussey’s leg stump with a toe-crushing yorker will still be fresh in the minds of IPL fans. Mumbai beat Chennai by 23 runs the last time the two teams clashed in the final at the same venue. Tickets have been sold out and a packed stadium will further add to the excitement of the final. Eden Gardens, which traces its cricketing connection to 1864, will add another exciting chapter to its history with the title decider.
