Kolkata Knight Riders made a statement as they beat Punjab Kings with 33 balls to spare, but don’t be fooled by the numbers. The game really came to a close with the two teams fighting face-to-face. Punjab started with a powerplay of 62 runs and only lost the plot. Meanwhile, KKR were looking to win it easily, which they eventually did, but not before they were reduced to 52/4. Were talking something from the game; Here are five of them.
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Umesh Yadav – Old worker– Nobody went after Umesh Yadav in the mega auctions and that clearly hurt him. He revealed how bad he really felt when he was not picked in the second round with KKR as well. You could feel for him, but not now. KKR have played three games and in all of them, Yadav was top notch, bowling at full force, picking up wickets in the very first overs! Against Punjab he was even better, scoring 4/23 in his four overs. Like the old wine, Umesh is also getting better and his bowling is definitely worth a look.
Double wicket by Rahul Chahar Maiden: Punjab were losing the game pretty badly at one point of time, with KKR chasing 138 runs all guns blazing. They were at 33/1, both Iyers looking well set, when Chahar got the ball and ripped it. Two wickets from captain Iyer and dangerman Nitish Rana reduced them to 52/4. It was a game-changing over until Russell single-handedly changed the game.
Russell Storm: The game seemed to be in balance, but one batsman was in the middle and it was Andre Russell. Yes, he was not in form earlier, but against RCB it looked like he was getting into his rhythm. And then there was the Wankhede blast… no rope long enough when Russell was blazing all guns and he was in that kind of area on Friday night. The Jamaican ended the game with two sixes off Liam Livingstone’s friendly leg break. But before that, he had belted out his compatriot Odion Smith for three sixes, scoring 30 runs. Which can break anyone’s morale.
All-round Kagiso Rabada: Making his debut for Punjab Kings, the South African cricketer did well with the bat as well as the ball. He went to bat with his team on 102/7, and he attacked the opposition, slamming Tim Southee for 4,6,6. This was the reason why they were able to reach 137. Meanwhile, with the ball he also made an impact to dismiss Ajinkya Rahane.
Odeon Smith Flop Show: What a turnaround for Smith. The player who was belting RCB outside the park in the season opener got himself belted. This is an excellent case of a hunter being a victim. He went for 30 which could have been demoralizing and add to that disappointing batting performance – 9 off 12 balls. Within a few days, he became a hero from zero.
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