IPL 6: KKR v/s RCB - The Quick Flicks
When the Knight Riders face off against the Royal Challengers, you know there is bound to be a lot of excitement. Since the inaugural game when the Kolkata outfit demolished the Bangalore high-flyers, there has existed a rivalry between the two sides, which has intensified almost to the point of coming to blows (remember the Kohli-Gambhir spat a few weeks ago). Tonight, SRK’s franchise dished out a whirlwind bowling performance that broke the back of Bangalore’s much-vaunted batting line-up, running out winners by 5 wickets. Here are some of the snapshots from the game at Ranchi:
Strangest pitch on display
The JSCA International Stadium made its IPL debut today – with a very strange pitch on offer. What was originally thought of as an even contest between bat & ball soon petered out into a one-way street for the KKR bowling. Both Kallis and Narine made full use of the pitch conditions and restricted the mighty RCB to a paltry total. Nevertheless, it was an interesting first game of the IPL on the Ranchi ground.
A sort of homecoming
RCB batsman Saurabh Tiwary (he of the long locks) must have been excited walking out to bat on his home ground, despite the fact that the Ranchi stadium is actually the designated ‘home ground’ of the KKR. Unfortunately he couldn’t do much, being dismissed by Sunil Narine for just 1. Not a very happy homecoming for the young lad who was once the Under-23 Player of the Tournament in IPL 2010.
It takes a West Indian to dismiss another – and then some!
A rather interesting thing was seen in today’s encounter. ‘Mystery’ bowler Sunil Narine dismissed both the buccaneering Chris Gayle and the hard-hitting Ravi Rampaul during RCB’s innings. Now there is something you don’t see every day. Incidentally, of the 4 wickets that Narine picked up, 3 were left-handers. Coincidence? I think not.
KKR’s lucky charm
Looks like Dutch all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate is KKR’s lucky charm this season. Though he was a tad expensive when bowling, he nevertheless kept a level head and scored the winning boundary for his side. Tendo is known around Western Province and Essex for his calm demeanour – a trait that saw Kolkata win the day.
While the two consecutive wins might have helped Kolkata to bring their stuttering IPL campaign back on track, RCB will have to do some serious thinking in order to better their away record. Perhaps a bit of tinkering with their batting order might help. For KKR, it’s all about survival and hope – they’re finally playing like the defending champions they are. Battle on, Knights!