All the bottom 4 teams are tied together at 6 points and we have reached a state from where any loss for any of these teams would lead to an end to their IPL hopes for the season. Under this context, Rajasthan Royals met Chennai Superkings in Abu Dhabi yesterday. Both the teams needed to win and that built up the expectation of a tight contest. So how did it go?
Here are my 5 points highlights of yesterday’s match.
1. Jofra Archer
When you have Archer on your side you have an insurance cover of 4 overs. Especially for a team like Rajasthan Royals who do not have any other real quick bowler in the side. He generally gives you breakthroughs and if he can’t he won’t go for runs. Yesterday was no different and in his second over he picked up the wicket of Faf Du Plessis – the only consistent batsman for CSK this season. He then came back at the death and didn’t provide a single delivery which could be hit. Jofra Archer has bowled 120 dot balls this season so far. No wonder he is one of the best pace bowlers in the world today. His fielding yesterday was quite comical though but as luck would have it – he affected a run out even with a misfield.
2. Shreyas Gopal
Shreyas Gopal is one of those players who will perform consistently day in and day out. Multiple times while playing Ranji Trophy he has bailed out Karnataka with either bat or ball. That he doesn’t take a bucket of wickets has gone against him and he has been ignored in selection meetings. Very few leg spinners are comfortable to bowl in the powerplays but Gopal does it consistently for Rajasthan Royals. Leg Spinners are known for getting hit and taking wickets but it’s not so easy to hit Gopal out of the park because of the length that he bowls. Yesterday he had a stranglehold on the CSK batsmen and returned with figures of 1/14 in his 4 overs. A job well done, I must say.
3. Rahul Tewatia
Rahul Tewatia’s stocks have been on the rise in this year’s IPL. He was drafted into the side as a bowling allrounder but he became a household name due to his death over batting heroics. Cricket is a game of confidence – with the confidence garnered in batting his bowling improved as well. Now he is regularly bowling his quota of 4 overs. Yesterday he bowled like a regular leg spinner and didn’t allow the batsmen to break free. In tandem with Gopal, he kept things tight. 1/18 in 4 overs amplifies this fact. The number 7 in the Rajasthan Royals line up is locked up now with Rahul Tewatia.
4. Deepak Chahar
Deepak Chahar is one of the best swing bowlers in India today. Invariably he will make the ball talk early in the innings. Yesterday with a very small score to defend, CSK needed him to perform exceedingly well. And he delivered. 2/18 in 4 overs with one maiden put the breaks on the Rajasthan Royals chase. His performance made me feel that we might have a close contest but unfortunately, no other bowler supported him other than Hazlewood, and Rajasthan Royals ran away with the match.
5. Jos Buttler
It was 28/3 in the 5th over when Jos Buttler came to the crease. It didn’t look very good for Rajasthan but Steve Smith and Jos Buttler are class players. Steve Smith struggled but Jos Buttler played like the way he can. He was circumspect initially but he got into his zone soon. 70 off 48 balls in a chase of 126 shows the difference between him and the other players. CSK had no answers to his batting yesterday and Rajasthan Royals won with 15 balls to spare.
Yesterday’s loss ensured that for the first time, CSK won’t make the playoffs. Time to rebuild the team from scratch I should say. They need younger and fitter players in the team. Dhoni’s swan song has not been a pleasant one.
What do you think should CSK do from here on? Can Rajasthan Royals make the playoffs?
Please do share your views.
As part of my seven-part series to celebrate the women’s spirit of Bengal, today I bring to you the story of a little known Indian Freedom Fighter – Bina Das – another “Bengali Agni Kanya”.
Bina Das
Born on 21st August 1911, Bina Das was a part of Chhatri Sangha – a revolutionary organisation for women which taught young college students how to use arms and ammunition.
On 6th February 1932, a 21-year student from Bethune College, Bina Das walked into the Calcutta University during a convocation program and fired shots at the then, Governor Stanley Jackson.
(For cricket fans, Stanley Jackson was a cricketer and played for England and was an Ashes-winning captain).
Bina Das missed her target and was caught & subsequently jailed for 9 years. After getting her release she joined the Quit India movement and was jailed again for 3 years.
She was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1960.
Unfortunately for India, this firebrand revolutionary died an ignominious death.
Her dead body was recovered from the roadside on 26th December 1986 in a partially decomposed state. It was found by the passing crowd in Rishikesh. The police were informed and it took them a month to determine her identity.
As we celebrate Stree Shakti this week, let’s remember this poignant story, even though late, and salute her for her sacrifices.
Stay Safe Everyone. Let’s celebrate Durga Puja from home.
May Maa Durga bless us all.
The 3rd Part of this Seven Part Series will release tomorrow where we will discuss another firebrand Bengali lady who left an indelible mark in Indian history.
Kings XI Punjab has two players who are on top of the run-scoring charts in this year’s IPL. Looking at the number of runs these two players have scored it’s quite difficult to understand how this team is languishing at the bottom of the table. But as the saying goes, it’s a team game, and everyone needs to contribute on a consistent basis, and this is where Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians have been so good. As Kings XI Punjab took on Mumbai Indians yesterday – one thing was clear that Kings XI will come hard because they have nothing to lose and we were all set for an exciting encounter to wrap up the Super Sunday.
So how did it go?
Here are my 5 points highlights from yesterday’s match held in Dubai.
1. Keiron Pollard
For the last few matches, Keiron Pollard had nothing to do with the bat because the top order was batting very well. Things changed yesterday as Mumbai Indians lost their first 3 wickets within the power play. Keiron Pollard is generally slotted at number 5 but he was pushed down the order and he came in at number 7. When he walked in the scoreboard read 116/5 in the 16th over. It quickly became 119/6 in the next over and Kings XI was all set to demolish Mumbai Indians. But this team is a champion team for a reason. The next 20 balls went all around the park courtesy Keiron Pollard and Nathan Coulter-Nile and Mumbai Indians scored close to 60 runs in the final 20 balls of the innings. Keiron Pollard scored 34 off just 12 deliveries and took the team to an almost winning total of 176.
2. Mohd. Shami
Shami is one of the most improved bowlers in world cricket in the last 12 months. From being hammered around the park in T20 cricket he has now become an integral part of any team that he plays for. He is super fit with one of the best exponents of the bouncer in world cricket. He added the yorkers too in his repertoire. Yesterday his bowling figures read 2/30 and that was pretty good with all the carnage that was going on around him. He was not done yet though because he had an important role to play in the subsequent super over which followed.
3. KL Rahul
KL Rahul’s graph has been on the rise and this year he has been in a rich vein of form. The current Orange Cap holder became the first Indian yesterday to score 500 runs or more in 3 IPLs in a row. Though Mayank Agarwal got out early, Rahul ensured that he was always in sight of the asking run rate. He couldn’t take the team home though and once again got out at the most inopportune moment. This is one thing which he needs to work on. None the less, his score of 77 in 51 balls was easily the best performance with the bat amongst both the teams.
4. Jasprit Bumrah
You can’t keep Bumrah out of the system, can you? He is consistent and he was hitting the right length consistently. 3/24 is a superlative effort on any day but if you still end up on the losing side you have to give in that some days someone will be better than you. He was no doubt the best bowler amongst the two teams yesterday and each and every batsman struggled against him.
5. The Super Over’s Super Over
In the last cricket world cup, we had a tie in the finals which eventually took us to a super over. Quite inexplicably the super over was also tied and England won the World Cup because they had hit more boundaries than New Zealand. This boundary countback rule has since been discarded and the new rule suggests that super overs will continue till a winner is determined (quite like Sudden Death in soccer).
Yesterday we had the second tie of the day and Kings XI batted first. Bumrah was on the money in each of the six balls he bowled and Kings XI could score only 5 runs. Should have been an easy chase for Mumbai Indians but they ran into an inspired Md. Shami who defended those 5 runs and the match was tied again. This took us to another super over – the first time in the history of cricket – and finally, we had a winner with Mayank Agarwal hitting the winning runs. Mayank played a great role in keeping Mumbai Indians to 11 runs in the second super over by displaying tremendous agility in saving a six. As per the rules, the bowlers of the first super over couldn’t bowl in the second super over and that gave the Kings XI batsmen the necessary fillip to get those 2 vital points.
A great Super Sunday and possibly the best Sunday in months for cricket lovers. Both the matches went to super overs with the second one needing another super over to break the tie.
Now 4 teams are standing on 6 points and all of them still have a thin chance to progress into the playoffs because KKR can slip anytime.
What do you think? What was the turning point in yesterday’s match?
Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad are occupying the middle of the table and hence the encounter between both of them had an added spice because a win would take SRH to the 4th position, pushing KKR to 5th whereas a win for KKR would consolidate their position in the top half and would create a gap with SRH. Under this context, the top teams met at Abu Dhabi for their return leg. Both the teams have a lot of youngsters in the team and it was expected to be a close encounter.
So how did it go?
Here are my 5 points highlights from the match.
1. Eoin Morgan
Morgan is a born leader and hence I was quite surprised that he was not wearing the captain’s hat when KKR started their campaign. He is the man who turned around England’s white-ball cricket. The entire domestic setup in the country has changed over the last 5 years and now England produces a lot of cricketers who are tailor-made for white-ball cricket. He of course is a world cup winning captain too. Ideally, he is best placed to come in at number 4 but yesterday he came in at number 5 with KKR in trouble. The scoreboard read 88/3 in the 13th over. Russell was out pretty quickly and KKR needed a push in the last 4 overs. With Dinesh Karthik in tow, Morgan made sure that KKR had something to bowl at. 160 seemed to be a par score on that ground and KKR finished at 163. We are yet to see the real Morgan in this year’s IPL though and I am very sure it’s just around the corner.
2. Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik is a very good finisher and he has won some incredibly tough chases for India especially in T20 cricket. But when it came to IPL he has been very inconsistent and one of the biggest trouble is that he is asked to play the grappler role in the middle overs. I don’t think his game suits that position of number 4. But as a captain, he tried to take extra responsibility and tried too hard and mostly failed. Yesterday he was sent down the order at number 6 which I think is his best position. He came in with the scoreboard reading 105/5 in 15 overs. Karthik was enterprising from the ball 1 and he finished with 29 off 14 balls which was the best strike rate among both the teams. It was his partnership with Eoin Morgan which helped KKR reach 163 which was a pretty competitive total.
3. David Warner
With Kane Williamson injured, David Warner did the smart thing of asking Kane to open so that he can swing his bat during the powerplay. Pushing himself down to number 4 was good for Sunrisers Hyderabad because they have an inexperienced middle-order and Warner at 4 followed by Manish Pandey was a good option to have especially with a tricky chase in hand. SRH started very well going at almost 10 runs per over in the power play without losing any wicket. 58/0 suddenly became 70/3 in the space of 3 overs and SRH started feeling the heat. But Warner’s presence ensured that they were always in the hunt. He scored 47 off 33 balls with wickets falling around him and ensured that SRH didn’t go down without a fight.
4. Lockie Ferguson
With Pat Cummins spearheading the KKR bowling attack it was not possible to get Lockie Ferguson in the mix. Ferguson of course didn’t have a great IPL last season and was eventually dropped from the playing 11. But his international performance was great. In the last year’s world cup he picked up 23 wickets to finish as the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. Yesterday KKR decided to bolster their bowling attack by picking him in the playing 11. He made an instant impact and took the wicket of Kane Williamson to break a dangerous opening stand. His figures of 3/15 in 4 overs made many people wonder why was he not selected in the team so far. He was constantly hitting the right length and his yorkers were directed on the stumps with great results. That Morgan didn’t keep his final over for the end was something that was beyond understanding. If bowling was not enough he played a crucial role in sending Abdul Samad on his way with a superlative effort at the boundary line. Those 6 runs saved made a huge difference in the final equation. For KKR he was not done yet because he had a magical role to play in the super over.
5. KKR and Super Overs
With 18 runs to defend, a half-fit Andre Russell came to bowl the final over. He kept spraying the ball and Warner kept finding the gaps. It was almost all over as the equation read 2 runs off 1 ball but Andre Russell kept his best delivery for the final ball and Warner could get only one run to make it a tie. Super Overs have never been kind to KKR. They have played 3 Super Overs in earlier editions and lost them all. This time the ball was in Lockie Ferguson’s hand and he picked up the wicket of Warner in the very first delivery and a couple of balls later another perfect yorker took the wicket of Abdul Samad.
SRH scored just 2 runs in their super over and KKR had a golden opportunity to break their jinx of super overs by getting to the winning runs without breaking a sweat.
What a great match on a Super Sunday at the IPL. This was the third super over this season and that’s the maximum ever in one season. It has been a highly competitive season so far and the Dil Maange More!
KKR consolidates its position in the top 4 with this win whereas SRH remains in the bottom half.
Should Andre Russell be replaced with Tom Banton? Should Lockie Ferguson be a regular in the playing XI going forward?
What do you think?
Appreciate your views.
As we welcome Maa Durga, the epitome of Stree Shakti (Nari Shakti- Empowered Women) – here is part one of my seven-part series on some great Bengali Women who played their part in shaping the India of today.
Begum Rokeya
Begum Rokeya was born in 1880 at Rangpur (present-day Bangladesh). Her father was a Zamindar. She didn’t get any formal education but her elder brother, Ibrahim helped her learn Bengali and a little bit of English. She was attracted to studies but she didn’t get any opportunity till she got married. After her marriage in 1898 to Sakhawat Hussain, an Urdu speaking Deputy Magistrate of Bhagalpur – she got the opportunity to expand her knowledge. As a liberal husband, he encouraged Begum Rokeya to continue learning Bengali and English. He also encouraged her to write, and on his advice, she adopted Bengali as the principal language for her literary works.
Begum Rokeya’s writings started coming out from 1904 onwards and all her works were related to women’s liberation. She is today, known as the pioneer of women’s liberation in South Asia.
Her one and only English Novel, “Sultana’s Dreams” reversed the roles of men and women with women being the dominant force in her fantasy world.
Her thoughts, writings, and actions were all way ahead of her contemporaries. After her husband’s death in 1909, she established a school named Sakhawat Memorial Girls’ High School which is presently located at Lord Sinha Road, Kolkata. Till her death, she ran the school herself. She played a pivotal role in Women’s education in Bengal.
She died in 1932 in Kolkata and she is one of those very few souls whose birthday and deathday falls on the same day (9th December).
9th December is celebrated as Rokeya Day in Bangladesh. In 2004 she was ranked number 6 in BBC’s poll of the Greatest Bengali of All Times.
Here saluting her indomitable spirit – the true Nari Shakti as we welcome Maa Durga during the tough times of Covid-19.
Stay Safe Everyone. Let’s celebrate from home.
May Maa Durga bless us all.
The 2nd Part of this Seven Part Series will release tomorrow where we discuss another Woman who left an indelible mark in Indian history.
When the IPL started this season, on paper the strongest team was Delhi Capitals and one of the weakest teams was Chennai Super Kings. Chennai has some very good players in the team but the problem is that most are past their prime. T20 is a fast-paced game and hence you need young legs on the field. CSK was expected to struggle on that front and their results reflect the same. For Delhi Capitals it was not the same and they have been playing on form with each player contributing to the cause. CSK won their last match against Sunrisers Hyderabad to signal a turnaround and they wanted to keep the winning momentum on their side when they met Delhi Capitals yesterday in Sharjah.
So how did it go yesterday?
Here are my 5 points highlights of the match.
1. Kagiso Rabada
That Kagiso Rabada is ruling the bowling charts this season should come as no surprise for anyone. He is way ahead of any bowler this season. Not a single match he has gone wicketless and other than one match he has hardly been taken for runs. Yesterday was no different. 1/33 off 4 overs with a maiden to boot amplifies that fact. 16 off the 33 runs that he gave came in his last over just proves how deadly he was in the first half of the innings. With Nortje also breathing fire, this Delhi Capitals team will be difficult to beat this season.
2. Faf du Plessis
One player from CSK who has been very consistent this season is Faf du Plessis. In the last couple of matches he was a bit off colour but yesterday with Sam Curran out early he and Watson rebuilt the innings. He was out for 57 runs due to a superlative effort by Dhawan on the field. CSK is on a very sticky wicket this season so players like Faf du Plessis have to play consistently well. And sometimes that is also not good enough as proved yesterday.
3. Ravindra Jadeja
Jadeja holds a very important place in the team because he is one of those allrounders who bats, bowls and fields and does all with aplomb. Yesterday when he came into bat the scoreboard read 129/4 in the 17th over. CSK needed something dramatic in the last couple of overs but it was not easy because Delhi Capitals had Rabada and Nortje up their sleeves. But, Jadeja when in song can destroy any bowling attack and he showed that yesterday. He scored 33 runs off just 13 balls to take CSK to a highly competitive total of 179. It should have been a winning score but Axar Patel hit Jadeja for 3 sixes in the last over to script a come from behind victory for Delhi Capitals.
4. Shikhar Dhawan
Dhawan had a very slow start this season. He was unable to time the ball and was getting out at the most inopportune moments. But in the last couple of matches, Dhawan was getting back into form. Dhawan is one of those rare cricketers who have been a part of IPL since its inception. He has scored close to 5000 runs but the century alluded him. As an opener who gets to play from the first ball, it’s expected that he should have had a century by now but it never happened. Finally, everything came together yesterday and Dhawan got his first century in IPL. He must thank the CSK fielders though because they missed 3 catches. But as the saying goes luck favours the brave and his score of 101 off 58 balls made it a memorable day for Shikhar Dhawan.
5. Axar Patel
Dhawan’s great knock would have come to naught for Delhi Capitals if Axar Patel didn’t come good in the final over. Delhi Capitals needed 17 off the last 6 balls with Dhawan on strike. He took a single and Axar came on strike. The next 4 balls that he faced he hit 3 sixes and took Delhi Capitals to victory. 21 off 5 balls and 0/23 in 4 overs proves the importance of Axar Patel’s presence in this team. He is a very underrated all-rounder but he always comes good and rises during a crisis which makes him a complete team man. His role in yesterday’s victory was as big as Dhawan’s in the final equation.
Delhi Capitals reached the top of the table once again and they are all set to be in the Top 2. RCB and Mumbai Indians are also vying for that spot. The next few days will be quite exciting to see who holds on and who slips.
Is this the end of CSK this season? Or is there something lurking at the back from MS Dhoni?
What do you think?
Royal Challengers Bangalore is a different team this season because their strength on paper is giving results on the field. They have good fast bowlers, good spinners and above all both, their star players, Virat Kohli and AB DeVilliers have been in supreme form. Rajasthan Royals on the other hand has lost all momentum and is now grappling for recovery. They needed some inspirational performances from their foreign recruits to turn the campaign around. Rajasthan Royals needed a win badly when they met RCB yesterday in Dubai. So how did it go?
Here are my 5 points highlights from yesterday’s encounter.
1. Yuzvendra Chahal
Chahal is the go-to man for Virat Kohli when it comes to picking up wickets. Invariably he delivers for the team. Yesterday, Rajasthan Royals made a good start and Uthappa was in good form. The run rate was healthy and Virat Kohli turned to Chahal. He delivered immediately picking up the wickets of Uthappa and Samson in successful balls to derail the Rajasthan Royals’ innings. Though he went for a lot of runs in the 18th over – his spell in the earlier part of the innings helped keep Rajasthan Royals in check.
2. Steven Smith
Steven Smith along with Sanju Samson played some good knocks in the early part of IPL 2020. But both of them lost their form after the first 3 matches and their team suffered too. Yesterday after the double strike by Chahal – it was his duty to rebuild the innings and this time he didn’t fail. It took time for him to get the flow but towards the end, we could see the old Steven Smith back in action. 57 off 36 balls helped Rajasthan Royals reach a highly competitive 177 runs.
3. Chris Morris
Chris Morris has been extremely consistent from the time he came into the playing XI of RCB. He has delivered both with the bat and ball and this is one addition that has done wonders for Team RCB. His 4/26 in 4 overs was a superlative effort and his final over made a big difference. When the final over started, Rajasthan Royals were at 173/4 and I was thinking 185 was a distinct possibility. But Chris Morris changed all that. He went for only 4 runs and took up 2 wickets and helped RCB go into the break with momentum on their side.
4. Rahul Tewatia
Rahul Tewatia’s graph is on the rise. A completely unknown name has not become a household name in Inda over the last few weeks. He has single-handedly won a couple of matches for Rajasthan Royals with the bat but he has been also very consistent with the ball. Yesterday he scored 19 off 11 balls and was part of an important partnership with Steve Smith. With the ball he was steady and his figures of 1/30 in 4 overs kept the RCB chase in check. He was part of both the dismissals yesterday which kind of derailed the RCB chase by picking up the wicket of Padikkal and taking a great catch to dismiss Virat Kohli. I think Tewatia is a good find for India and I hope he keeps honing his skills because India needs good allrounders.
5. AB DeVilliers
ABDV as he is lovingly called has never been a part of a champion team. He is a complete team man and this year also he started to keep wickets to help the balance in the team. That Chris Morris could get a chance in the playing XI has to go down to this very reason. This has helped the team get a perfect balance. Yesterday RCB was going well but in the space of 2 balls, they lost both the well-set batsmen (Padikkal & Kohli), and the chase of kind of derailed. But when ABDV is there – think of the unthinkable. With the asking rate reaching 16 per over – Rajasthan Royals started breathing easy. But in a space of a few balls, ABDV changed the picture completely. The monstrous hits just kept coming and each hit was bigger than the other. RCB needed 35 runs off the last 12 balls and just for the records, they scored 36 runs off 10 balls to get an amazing victory.
This year must be the best possible year for AB Devilliers and Virat Kohli to finally win the IPL. It would be highly disappointing if they don’t.
For Rajasthan Royals, this is their best playing XI and I don’t think there is anything else they can do other than hoping for the best.
What do you think? Can Rajasthan Royals turn this fledging campaign around?
One matchup that has defied all logic in the IPL history is Mumbai Indians Vs. Kolkata Knight Riders. It’s so one-sided that people have started making jokes that KKR may as well give a walkover when they meet the Mumbai Indian. The score read 20-6 before yesterday and KKR hoped to improve on the already skewed statistics as they met Mumbai Indians at Abu Dhabi. So did it follow the script?
Here are my 5 points highlights of yesterday’s match at IPL 2020.
1. Rahul Chahar
Rahul Chahar had a great IPL last year which fast-tracked him to the Indian team as well. Leg Spinners play a very vital role in T20 because of their habit of picking up wickets. Each team has a leg spinner or two in their squads. As the IPL moved into the second phase it was obvious that the pitches would start behaving differently. This makes the spinners come into the game and more so the legspinners. Rahul Chahar has had a relatively silent IPL thus far and one of the reasons was that Mumbai Indians’ pace bowlers did most of the damage. Yesterday was no different because it was once again the pace bowlers who did the initial damage. But Rahul on his part ensured that he kept up the same pressure when he came into bowl. His double-wicket blow when he took the wickets of Shubhman Gill and Dinesh Karthik ensured that KKR couldn’t break free. His bowling figures of 2/18 in 4 overs didn’t allow KKR to build any momentum.
2. Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah is one of the fiercest bowlers in World Cricket today. Easily in the top 4 across all formats. This year he had been blowing hot and cold but over the last couple of matches, he seemed to have got his radar right. He proved himself once again yesterday. Bumrah was not playable. Bumrah is generally kept to bowl against the opposition’s best batsmen and yesterday he came back to bowl when Russell and Morgan were in the crease. He took the wicket of Russell with a fierce bouncer and kept Morgan under the leash. 1/22 in his 4 overs proves the fact that Bumrah is back in his own self now.
3. Pat Cummins
Kolkata Knight Riders broke the bank to acquire the services of Pat Cummins. He is one of the Top 4 bowlers in world cricket and KKR expected him to deliver consistently by picking up vital wickets in the power play. With him playing the 8th match that is yet to happen and it has been a frustrating season for him because taking wickets is his primary job. Yesterday though he was playing as a new avatar. KKR was reeling at 61/5 in the 11th Over when Cummins came into bat. Over the next 9 overs, KKR scored 87 runs with Cummins contributing 53 of them in the 36 balls he faced. He along with Morgan took KKR to 148 which at one point looked highly improbable.
4. Quinton de Kock
Quinton de Kock is a marvelous player because he is generally a very consistent batsman. Having a wicketkeeper who is an aggressive opener is something that changes the team dynamics and Mumbai Indians were very happy to have him in the team. But QDK was not in form at all. He was late in picking up the balls earlier in the season and got out multiple times, trying to pull short pitch deliveries. Yesterday we saw the old De Kock in action. He was aggressive right from the ball go and continued with the same momentum throughout the match. He carried the bat through and finished at 78 off 44 balls and hastened the chase for Mumbai Indians. Finishing a match within 16 overs is no mean feat but that’s how it was yesterday. KKR just couldn’t stop him.
5. Varun Chakravarthy
Over the last few matches, Varun has become the numero uno spinner of KKR. Quite a great achievement especially when you have Sunil Naraine and Kuldeep Yadav within your ranks. Other than one match Varun has not leaked many runs. He has not taken a bag full of wickets but he keeps his end tight. The problem for KKR has been that the other bowlers aren’t able to capitalise. Yesterday Mumbai Indians were rampant when they started the chase against KKR but Varun Chakravarthy stemmed the flow of runs. 1/23 in 4 overs when the opposition was going at 9 runs per over shows that Varun played his role perfectly well.
It all started with a great catch by Surya Kumar Yadav which left everyone stunned and in the end, it followed the similar script of Mumbai Indians hammering Kolkata Knight Riders to submission.
The change of captaincy for KKR didn’t show any immediate results.
So what do you think is going on with KKR? Will any strategy work?
It has been quite a nightmarish journey for Kings XI Punjab thus far in IPL 2020. They started well, both their openers are ruling the batting charts but as a team, they have lost matches even from winning positions. With one win from 7 matches, it was important that they win a minimum of 6 matches in the balance 7 as they met Royal Challengers Bangalore at Sharjah yesterday. Interestingly RCB is the only team that Kings XI has beaten this season. So how did it go?
Here are my 5 point highlights from yesterday’s match.
1. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is in general a very consistent player. Once he is in form, he keeps belting big scores one after another. That’s not been the case this year. In a couple of matches, he showed his old glimpse but otherwise, it has been a bit of a struggle to get the timing right. With pitches slowing down it has become even more difficult for him. Yesterday also it was no different but as Kohli does this very well – he hanged on and kept hitting the occasional boundary. He was the highest scorer for his team but he got out at a time when the team required him to score big.
2. Murugan Ashwin
The Kings XI management preferred Ravi Bishnoi to Ashwin Murugan and hence he didn’t get many opportunities this season. Yesterday they made an aggressive decision to play both the leg spinners which in hindsight turned out to be the right one. Murugan got his googlies to turn and Virat Kohli struggled. He stitched together some very quiet overs and his final analysis of 2/23 in 4 overs was easily the best among both the teams. Sharjah is a very small ground and to come up with such a bowling figure must give the Kings XI management a lot of hope and satisfaction.
3. Chris Morris
Chris Morris made an impact as soon as he was drafted into the playing XI against KKR. He is a very underrated all-rounder. He gives you handy runs at the end with the bat and generally opens the bowling for his team. He is a vital clog in any team’s wheel and hence it was very surprising that Royal Challengers Bangalore didn’t have him in the playing XI when they started their campaign this year. Yesterday, he came in to bat with the RCB scoreboard reading 5/134 in the 18th over. Shami was in the midst of a great over in which he took both the wickets of Virat Kohli and AB DeVilliers. With 2 overs to go, it was a do or die situation for RCB. Chris Morris had to deliver and he did it. He faced only 8 balls but scored 25 runs with the final over of Shami going for 24 runs. His power-hitting ensured RCB reaching 171 runs. With the ball, he was equally crafty. Though he didn’t take any wickets – he kept it tight and didn’t allow the openers to break free. 0/22 in 4 overs was an example of his great bowling skills.
4. KL Rahul
Rahul has been very consistent with the bat this season. That Kings XI Punjab is languishing at the bottom of the table have had no effect on his individual performance. The current orange cap holder consolidated his position at the top further. Mayank Agarwal was the initial aggressor as Rahul dug in to play a long innings. In their last encounter against KKR, Rahul’s wicket in the 19th over led to the team’s downfall at the end, and hence this time he made no mistake and put his head down to ensure that he bats till the end. He scored 61 and remained not out. Being extra cautious almost led to the team’s downfall though and a very easy chase suddenly changed into 1 run required off 1 ball. Thankfully Pooran took them to victory this time around.
5. Chris Gayle
At the toss, KL Rahul declared that Chris Gayle would be playing and he added that his team is lucky to have the “Universe Boss” in the playing XI today. Quite surprising statement – because if they are lucky to have him then why was he warming the bench in the previous 7 matches? Anyways, Chris Gayle means entertainment, and when he walked in to bat all waited for the entertainment to start. Quite understandably as he was playing a competitive match after a long gap – he was circumspect in the beginning. But then he blossomed and those towering hits were back. He scored 53 which included 5 towering sixes and took Kings XI to the doorstep of victory. Other teams better watch out because the Universe Boss is back in the mood.
With Kings XI winning the match the tournament is still wide open. This is the fun in IPL isn’t it? When all teams play well it becomes even more entertaining for everyone.
Will this lead to the turnaround of fortunes for Kings XI Punjab?
Let’s wait and watch!
Rajasthan Royals won their last encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad to bring back hopes of a revival. With Ben Stokes back in the team, they had renewed hopes. When they met Delhi Capitals yesterday in Dubai they wanted to keep the winning momentum. It’s easier said than done though because, on paper, Delhi Capitals has the most balanced side in the tournament. One of the big advantages of Delhi Capitals is their pace bowling resources and I was excited to see how Rabada performs vis-a-vis Jofra Archer. So how did it go yesterday?
Here are my 5 point highlights of yesterday’s match.
1. Jofra Archer
Jofra Archer doesn’t look like a heavy-duty pace bowler but when the ball comes to the batsmen it’s invariably above 145 Kms/hour with many balls hitting 150 km/hour. In this tournament, he has not taken a bag full of wickets but he never allowed batsmen to dominate. He has the maximum dot balls against his name in this year’s IPL. It was no different yesterday with 14 dot balls in the 24 balls that he bowled. In his very first delivery, he castled Prithvi Shaw and then followed that up by taking the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane to push back Delhi Capitals. He finally finished with 3/19 in his 4 overs. It’s always great to watch Archer bowl and it was no different yesterday. Let’s not forget the Bihu dance too. It has become a revelation now and Jofra did the jig quite nicely.
2. Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan got back into form in the last match against Mumbai Indians. He carried that same form into yesterday’s match too. He was timing the ball well and along with Shreyas Iyer rebuilt the Delhi Capitals’ innings. He didn’t let the momentum shift towards Rajasthan Royals and capitalised on all loose deliveries that came along the way. His 57 runs off 33 balls helped Delhi reach a respectable total. He would be disappointed though that he got out after being set. But his form must be welcome news for his team for the future matches.
3. Shreyas Iyer
When Shreyas Iyer came into bat the scoreboard read 2/10 in the third over with Jofra Archer breathing fire. I think Steve Smith missed a trick by not giving Archer another over. This allowed breathing space for both Dhawan and Iyer. Dhawan took that opportunity to take control as Iyer played himself in. And once Iyer was set, he started hitting as well. Another half-century for Shreyas Iyer just re-established the fact that he is the ideal number 4 for India. His captainship skills are equally good. Delhi Capitals would be very concerned with the injury though that he picked up while fielding and would be hoping that it’s nothing serious because if he sits out then the lineup would be disturbed because Pant is already sitting out due to injury. Yesterday the Iyer-Dhawan partnership ensured that the middle order was not exposed early though like Dhawan, Iyer would be disappointed too at the timing of his dismissal.
4. Ravichandran Ashwin
Ashwin has been a revelation this season. He has been off the radar when it comes to white-ball cricket for the last couple of years. But he is a great bowler and like any great bowler, he worked on his skills and has been very consistent this season. He has not allowed any loose deliveries this year and in between took some wickets too. Yesterday, Rajasthan Royals started very well and Rabada was hit around in the powerplay. Ashwin came into bowl early and took the wicket of Steve Smith. He was at his miserly best too. His figures of 1/17 in 4 overs made a big dent in the Rajasthan Royals’ chase.
5. Anrich Nortje
There are fast bowlers and then there are super fast bowlers. Nortje is one of those rare super fast bowlers. No one has delivered more 150 km/hour deliveries than him this year. He got the first breakthrough for Delhi Capitals by taking the wicket of Jos Buttler and later came back and castled Uthappa via a 155 Km/Hour yorker. Just unplayable. The wicket of Uthappa nailed it for Delhi Capitals because he was the highest scorer for Rajasthan Royals. Rabada and Nortje have become quite a pair in world cricket now and we would see some great performances in the future too.
Delhi Capitals didn’t look like would win the match at the halfway stage and after the start that Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes got it looked like an easy victory for Rajasthan Royals. But as the saying goes, it’s not how you start – it’s more important how you finish and that’s what Delhi Capitals did yesterday. A 13 run victory for Delhi Capitals got them back to the top of the table.
So where does Rajasthan Royals go from here?
Should Ben Stokes open or should he come down in the middle order?
Should Jaiswal replace Uthappa and get a longish run? Or should Uthappa open with Jos Buttler?
What do you think?
Please share your views.