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The unpredictable Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) almost threw away the match only to snatch it from jaws of defeat in the end and reach the final of Indian Premier League (IPL) with a three-wicket win off the penultimate over of the run chase. In the end, it was Rahul Tripathi who held on to his nerves to take the team home after witnessing madness on the other end. Now, KKR will face MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the final.
A collapse that can’t be explained
It looked like a one-sided affair for a better part of the game only to turn into an absolute nail-biter. When Nitish Rana got out off the last ball of the 16th over, KKR needed just 13 runs to get over the line from 24 deliveries. DC were trying to put pressure but expectations were that it will not go past penultimate over. However, KKR batting lineup imploded to get DC back in the hunt. Opener Shubman Gill got out in the 17th over and that’s what led to complete madness. Pacers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Norjet got the wickets of Dinesh Karthik and Eoin Morgan respectively off the last ball 18th and 19th over.
Anti-climax for Ashwin
All of a sudden, the equation was seven runs from six balls and Rishabh Pant handed the ball to the experienced R Ashwin. The off-spinner was clever in his tactics bowling with a slight round-arm action to create the tough angle so the ball does not bounce as much as it should, especially on a wicket that kept low. He gave just a single off the first ball to Tripathi and took the wickets of last match’s heroes Shakib Al Hasan and Sunil Narine. However, Ashwin bowled it slightly short to Tripathi and the batter hanged back in the crease to hit it straight over the boundary for a maximum to seal the victory. Before the match-winning six it was a monumental KKR collapse losing six wickets in just 24 deliveries and scoring just seven runs.
Openers set the tone
KKR’s in-form openers did not disappoint their team on a slow track where the odd ball bounced low. They put DC’s in-form bowlers on the back foot right from the start. Chasing 136, the powerplay score of KKR was 51 for no loss. Venkatesh Iyer went on to score his third IPL century which took the game away from DC in the middle overs. The left-handed opener hit three sixes and four fours in his 41-ball 55. Shubman Gill and Iyer put on a 96-run opening stand which is the second-highest for KKR in IPL knockout games. Gill went on to score a run-a-ball 46 taking KKR to the doorstep of victory.
Hetmyer gets second life
Shimron Hetmyer has been the designated finisher for Delhi Capitals (DC). On a day Capitals struggled to post even a respectable total on the board, Hetmyer’s death overs role became even more crucial. The left-handed batter looked to hit big on the fifth delivery he faced but miscued it and lost his wicket. However, Hetmyer got a second life as Varun Chakravarthy overstepped. The Caribbean hitter made use of it and hit two sixes of Lockie Ferguson’s over. He could not play the perfect cameo as he got run out for 10-ball 17 trying to take a second run in the penultimate over. Had Hetmyer not departed, DC had a chance to go past the score of 140.
No room from KKR bowlers
KKR bowlers were spot-on in their execution after Eoin Morgan won the toss and chose to bowl first. None of the KKR bowlers had a bad day at the office and bowled with an economy rate of seven or below. Shivam Mavi was exceptional barring the last over where Iyer tried to finish with a bang. Despite the no ball, Chakravarthy impressed once again taking the wickets of both openers Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan.
Stoinis’ unimpressive comeback
Marcus Stoinis made a comeback into the side after recovering from hamstring injury. Replacing Tom Curran, Stoinis came out to bat at no.3 in the powerplay overs. The decision backfired as Stoinis struggled terribly against KKR’s three spinners and managed to score just 18 runs from 23 deliveries. Probably, Shreyas Iyer would have been a better pick considering KKR spinners’ overs were crucial on a pitch that was tough for batsmen to hit from the first ball.
