MATCH 2: Toss: KKR chose to bowl. PBKS: 191/5 (20/20). KKR: 146/7 (16/16) (DLS). PBKS win by 7 Runs (DLS Method).
Overview
We move north to the land of five rivers for the second contest of the 2023 IPL season. The underdogs, Punjab Kings met the Kolkata Knight Riders at Mohali. Punjab had a blazing start as Prabhsimran Singh and Bhanuka Rajapaksa took Kolkata bowlers to the cleaners. The Kings hurried to 109 for 2 at the end of 11 overs. Contributions from the rest of the team took them to a formidable 191 at the end of 20 overs. Kolkata got off to a bumpy start as they found themselves 5 wickets down for 80 runs in 10 overs. Then, KKR’s impact sub, Venkatesh Iyer and Andre Russell stitched together a 50-run stand that took the knight riders close to the DLS par score with clouds hovering over the INS Bindra Stadium. Kolkata looked set to get a lead over the DLS score but Russell fell to Curran, and then soon after Arshdeep got Venky Iyer. With 2 quick wickets, the Knight Riders fell onto their back foot. Despite a quick 15-run stand between Shardul and Narine, Kolkata fell short of the DLS par score when rain took over. Punjab would’ve thanked the rain gods as they won a close encounter and registered 2 points on the table in their first match. I will talk about a few key moments in the match, and of course, about the floodlight situation that delayed the start of the Kolkata innings.
Chakravarthy Stands Tall in an Expensive Affair
When the Kings were going ballistic smashing every bowler Rana threw at them, Varun Chakravarthy stood alone conceding only 26 runs in his 4 overs taking the important wicket of Punjab skipper Shikhar Dhawan. Chakravarthy bowled at immaculate lengths making it difficult to score. He was unlucky to not get more than 1 wicket but he limited what could’ve been a 200+ score.
Bhanuka took the veteran Narine to the cleaners. He used his feet well and attacked Narine’s spin viciously. Rajapaksa also took on the pace of Southee and Shardul. His role was to be the aggressor while Shikhar took his time to get set. Shikhar scored a valuable 29-ball 40 but never got going. Contributions throughout the scorecard showed Punjab’s batting depth is not just attractive on paper, but it is effective on the field.
Umesh was economical and effective grabbing a wicket for 27 runs in his four overs. Southee and Shardul were very expensive regardless of the 2 wickets Southee managed to scalp. The onus was on the fragile Knight Riders' batting order to chase down a formidable target that was attainable.
Do Impact Players Work?
After a brilliant spell in the first innings, Varun Chakravarthy was subbed out for Venkatesh Iyer in the second innings. This substitution added legs to the batting order. Rajapaksa was also subbed out for Rishi Dhawan giving Punjab an additional bowling option.
Kolkata’s opening pair baffled me a little. With Venky Iyer on the team, he should have opened with Gurbaaz instead of Mandeep Singh. Venky has opened for Kolkata in prior seasons and is a seasoned batsman. Arshdeep Singh went on a rampage with the new ball picking two wickets in his first over. Ellis castled Gurbaaz in the 5th over reducing Kolkata to 29/3 inside the powerplay. Iyer and skipper Nitish Rana made a 46-run partnership and steadied the chase a little before Sikandar Raza got the better of Rana. Now the stadium was getting covered by dark clouds, rain could come pouring down any second, hence, it was critical for Kolkata to not lose any more wickets, but to also ensure a quick run rate to get ahead of the DLS par score.
Iyer and Russell scored 50 runs at a run rate of 10 before both fell in consecutive overs and put Kolkata on the back foot. KKR suddenly found the DLS par score to be out of reach. The rain came pouring and Kolkata lost an unfortunate encounter.
The impact player rule didn’t affect the outcome of the first game too much, but it helped the losing side in this match. They could play both Chakravarthy and Iyer who contributed massively.
Floodlight Failure Delays Start
In a multi-million dollar tournament such as the IPL, a match getting delayed by 30-odd minutes due to a floodlight failure is unacceptable. If not for the delay, KKR would have begun their innings early and consequently, ended the match before the rain came in. This would’ve ensured a result and maybe Kolkata could’ve won because they were close to the target with Shardul and Narine in full flow. If the tournament plays out in a way that KKR misses out on qualification by 2 points, questions will be raised about this match.
The BCCI has to fine and reprimand Mohali for this. You just cannot have floodlights failing in a globally broadcast sporting event. This is bad for the sponsors, this is bad for the broadcasting agencies, and of course, this is bad for the teams. I hope this doesn't happen again, but if it does, BCCI has to suspend Mohali’s hosting rights.
Punjab Kings - Takeaways
Positives:
Prabhsimran Singh is a bright young prospect, if he gets going, he can take the game away in the powerplay itself.
Shikhar Dhawan looks in good form, a positive sign for the Punjab captain and the team.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa picked off where he left off last season. He is explosive with the bat in the powerplay and the middle overs. He takes on spinners aggressively and his positive footwork reflects strong confidence in his abilities.
Arshdeep Singh is lethal with the new ball and if he can swing the ball everywhere they go, he can consistently get Punjab off to good starts with the ball.
Using impact sub, Punjab can get 7 bowling options, this gives them the ability to manage expensive bowlers and get through the middle overs economically.
Negatives:
If Shikhar Dhawan wants to continue to play the anchor role in the Kings' batting lineup, he needs to bat at a higher strike rate. Especially in the first 20 deliveries, he needs to minimize dot balls to ensure Punjab doesn’t end up 15-20 runs short.
Sam Curran didn't have the best of days with the ball, but this was an off day and I am sure he will be better for the rest of the season.
I am not too sure about Punjab using Rishi Dhawan as the impact sub. He doesn’t provide much depth with the ball and gives away too many runs and rarely takes wickets. Maybe they can find a better bowler in the squad to use as an impact sub.
Kolkata Knight Riders - Takeaways
Positives:
Rahmannulah Gurbaaz had a promising start to his IPL career. Kolkata should stick with him as an opener for a few matches, he will come good.
Venkatesh Iyer had a positive start to the 2023 season. Using him as an impact player is good, but maybe KKR can look to open him with Gurbaaz. Their current top 3 look fragile and inexperienced.
Andre Russell looks as explosive as ever. He almost won the game before he fell to Chakravarthy due to the DLS pressure. He was KKR’s biggest strength in the last few seasons and he can be that this season, especially when KKR needs him.
Varun Chakravarthy is bowling really well. He is spinning the ball well and can be lethal as he was in 2021. He was very economical in a high-scoring encounter, if he can find a way to get more wickets, he’ll be very effective.
Umesh Yadav is deadly with the new ball. He can swing the ball very well, he will be especially effective at Eden Gardens where KKR plays most of its matches.
Negatives:
Tim Southee was very expensive. He cannot concede 54 runs in 4 overs and take just 2 wickets. While I do think he will be better, this wasn’t an off day. He is not a great T20 bowler. He concedes too many runs and doesn’t take too many wickets. 50+ runs in 4 overs ensure the opposition wins the game almost every time.
Shardul Thakur too had an expensive outing, taking 0 wickets and going for 43 runs in his 4 overs. His variations are a bit rough and need sharpening. He is not too effective with his knuckleball. He has to be better if he wants a spot in the XI.
I don’t know if Mandeep Singh is their best choice to open with Gurbaaz. Mandeep has long been an ineffective batsman in the T20 format. I do believe they should stick with him for a few more matches, but if it doesn’t work, they have to try someone else at his spot.
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