When the rains came down at Kolkotta, even the most ardent Delhi follower would have said “rain on”, as the visitors were without the services of some of their key foreign players like Mahela Jayawardane, David Warner, Kevin Pieterson and Andre Russel who are away on international duty, for this game. The Delhi side were also rendered a crucial blow with an injury to New Zealand’s Ross Taylor just prior to the start of the IPL.
A washed out game would have meant splitting points with a much stronger looking Kolkotta side, which boasted of international stars like – Brendon McCullum, Jaques Kallis and Brett Lee, along with domestic talent like the experienced Gautam Gambhir and the destructive Yusuf Pathan. For some, that might have been a better option. But then, Cricket is a funny game!
With rain abating, and thanks to a Herculean effort from the Eden Gardens ground-staff, play was made possible, albeit for a curtailed 12 overs a side match.
Now, Delhi had a real chance. Winning an important toss and putting Kolkotta in to bat only bettered their odds.
Brendon McCullum started the innings in the manner only he can, smacking Pathan to the fence for a couple of boundaries. But a bad decision by umpire Sudhir Asnani, who failed to spot the big inside edge onto pad, adjudged him leg before to Van de Merwe.
Kolkotta seemed to be in a hurry to score quick runs, maybe trying to achieve a pre-determined target of 125 odd decided in the dressing room, and paid the penalty.
Slipping from 14 without loss in the 2nd over to 55 for 6 in just the 7th over, the home team ran the risk of not even lasting the 12 overs. But a flamboyant cameo of 26 from Laxmi ratan Shukla helped KKR get to 97 for 9.
The asking rate of just over eight runs per over wasn’t going to threaten Delhi, especially if this rate only had to be maintained for 12 overs with 10 wickets in hand! Aaron Finch and Virender Sehwag started quietly, eschewing all risk and still accumulating about 8 runs per over. Though KKR managed to get the two openers with DD still requiring 41 runs, Irfan Pathan provided the impetus towards the end to help the visitors canter home to an 8 wicket triumph.
Delhi, who claimed the wooden spoon last season, started the new one with a resounding win!