RECAP
Follow UsNarine goes berserk, again
It was the fourth ball of the fourth over when Ishant Sharma managed to extract an edge off Sunil Narine’s willow but no one heard it except Mitchell Marsh. Rishabh Pant didn’t even think of reviewing it and replays later suggested there was a clear edge. Narine was on 24 off 13 at that stage.
The next two deliveries went for a six and a four. Eventually, Narine ended up smashing 85 off 39 balls. That one mistake cost DC 61 runs. Narine hit seven sixes and as many fours. He not only registered his highest IPL score but also got 40-plus scores in consecutive games for the first time in the IPL.
A debut knock to remember
KKR lost their first wicket with 60 runs on the board in 4.3 overs and in walked Angkrish Raghuvanshi for the first time in the IPL. The onus was on him to keep the momentum going, and boy the 18-year-old responded in some style.
Raghuvanshi started his innings with consecutive fours off Anrich Nortje. The right-hander played classy and fancy shots, including a reverse slap for a six over third man. He smacked 54 off 27, becoming the seventh batter to score an IPL fifty before turning 19.
Also read - Dear IPL, say hello to Angkrish Raghuvanshi
It’s the Russell-mania season
Andre Russell put on quite a show in KKR’s opening game against SRH at Eden Gardens, hitting 64* off 25 deliveries. The big man didn’t bat against RCB but was promoted to No.4 tonight and he responded with a 19-ball 41.
Batting at No.4 only for the 11th time in his IPL career, Russell blasted four fours and three maximums. Rinku Singh also slammed 26 off 8 as Kolkata registered the second-highest IPL total of all time - 272/7.
Starc has finally arrived
0/53 and 0/47 - this was an important game for Mitchell Starc after being super expensive in the first two encounters. The game was won in the first innings but KKR would have wanted Starc to get some confidence from this match. That’s exactly what happened.
Mitchell Marsh hit a full-length delivery straight to the fielder at point, giving Starc his first wicket in the IPL after 3239 days. The left-arm paceman then got another wicket, once again of an Australian teammate, with David Warner chopping one back onto the stumps.
Pant and Stubbs, the only positives for DC
The Capitals registered their second-biggest defeat in the IPL but it could have been worse if not for Pant and Tristan Stubbs.
The latter hit 54 off 32, his maiden IPL fifty. Meanwhile, Pant smacked his second consecutive fifty - 55 off 25. 28 off those runs came in one over, with Pant hitting Venkatesh Iyer for two maximums and four fours in the 12th over.
