TALKING POINTS
Follow Us25 days is a long time to go without a win. In most competitions, it would be the end of the road for a team. But IPL’s longevity constitutes different dynamics. Kolkata Knight Riders’ seven-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in Match 47 keeps them alive in the tournament. They need to win each of their remaining four games now to get to 16 points, a perceived assurance of a spot in the playoffs.
Rajasthan have hit a bump in their campaign. For the second game in a row, they failed to defend a 150-ish total. “We could have scored a few more runs,” said the skipper Sanju Samson, yet again. The question arises what is holding them back.
Number four
The number four has been an obvious problem for Rajasthan which was camouflaged by Jos Buttler and Shimron Hetmyer’s success at either end of the batting order. Now, on challenging pitches of Wankhede in consecutive games, that lag has showcased itself.
In IPL 2022 thus far, Rajasthan have the second-lowest average and strike-rate at number four. In their case, however, the underpar returns at number four are a reflection of the faults in their squad construction.
The absence of a quality all-rounder limits their batting to number six. Therefore, unless there is a big opening stand, they have to restrict their stroke-making after losing two wickets. It has prevented the opposition from running deep into their shallow batting resources too early. But on the wrong side, they haven’t allowed Hetmyer to prosper, as it happened on Monday night.
Having batted at a strike-rate of 163.5, he has faced only 16 balls per innings on average. Yes, he has been assigned as a finisher but you might get a sense that he is stereotyped by his own team. Not to forget, he is a lot more equipped than just finishing the innings.
He has batted at four only twice this season, both times when the second wicket fell in the last five overs. While Rajasthan have played musical chairs around that spot, maybe it is time to assign that number to Hetmyer. The move is sustainable after Riyan Parag has hit form.
Dubious wide calls
It is almost getting comical now. Every team has adopted the tactic of bowling towards the blue tramline to keep the ball away from batsman’s hitting arc during the death overs. That leads to a lot of dubious wide calls. The suspicion increases with batsman’s shuffle across the stumps. Some umpires stick to the tramline to signal a wide. Others acknowledge the shuffle to adjudge it as a legitimate delivery.
In T20 cricket, where every single run and delivery carries prime importance, the grey area around these can potentially decide a match. It did have its bearing in deciding the Match 31.
Marcus Stoinis was miffed at such a decision not going his way when the equation was too tight. The umpire’s decision had its effect on the previous ball that resulted in Stoinis’ dismissal, putting an end to Lucknow’s fight.
On Monday night, the fielding skipper, Samson was left frustrated. Such was his agony, he went upstairs for a non-existent caught behind with the hope of the reversal of the wide decision. Alongside confirming it wasn’t out, the replays suggested it shouldn’t have been a wide as well. But considering the subjective nature of the decision, it wasn’t overturned.
Not that it had a big impact on the game but probably the time has come to eradicate the subjective side of such decisions. Or allow the third umpire to intervene.
Rinku’s time has come
Kolkata were ahead in the game when Shreyas Iyer was strangled down the leg-side in the 13th over. However, a lot can go wrong for a team that has lost five games in a row.
The 13th over has been Andre Russell’s average point this IPL season. But tonight, with two overs of Yuzvendra Chahal still in the bank, Kolkata sent Rinku Singh over Russell to weather that storm.
After a wait of five seasons (only 11 games in four years with Kolkata before IPL 2022), the left-hander from Aligarh grabbed this opportunity with both hands. He was the senior partner in the stand that carried Kolkata home, scoring 42* from 23 balls off the deficit of 61 at the point of his arrival.
The astounding factor was the strange calmness with which he played for a man in his position. The six off Kuldeep Sen was deemed as the shot of the day by the commentators. Successive fours neutralized the Chahal threat early in the last over of the Purple Cap holder.
“Some players just deserve to have things go their way and Rinku is one of them,” said the Kolkata head coach Brendon McCullum after the win.
Boult fading out
Trent Boult’s form is now becoming a worry for Rajasthan. Specialized in making the new ball talk, he has picked only four wickets in the powerplay this season. In the last five matches, the tally goes down to one.
In addition, it appears he has lost the management’s trust to bowl in the slog overs. He has not bowled at the back end across the last three games. The left-arm seamer didn’t complete his four-over quota in the previous two games.
It is a dent in Boult’s tumultuous IPL career. Barring one excellent season with Mumbai in 2020, he hasn’t averaged less than 26.2 in any of his other seven seasons. Why it should bother Rajasthan is because it increases the loose ends in their combination. With Boult, it is a massive hole of an experienced international overseas player not justifying his potential.
