Russell, Shaw, Rabada: Three performances that played key roles in making DC vs KKR a thriller

It went right down to the wire – not once but twice. And how often does that happen in a cricket match? Delhi Capitals had a chance to finish things off when they needed eight runs off eight balls (they only needed to have asked themselves what Mahendra Singh Dhoni would have done) but they perished while going for the big shots.

Then again, Delhi needed two off two balls when Hanuma Vihari decided he wanted to finish it with one big shot. Instead, he got caught on the boundary line and the match went into the Super Over.

But before the match came to that pass, Andre Russell, for Kolkata Knight Riders, and Prithvi Shaw, for the home team, put on a show for the spectators.

Here’s how the Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals match turned out to be a thriller:

The Andre Russell show

Was Andre Russell always such a good batsman? He was a talented all-rounder, yes. One who could hit the ball a long way, yes. One who could even bowl at 140 km/h, yes. But to see him consistently perform with both bat and ball and bring the entire package together has been awe-inspiring and intimidating at the same time.

After 10 overs, KKR were reduced to 64/5 and that is when Russell walked to the middle. His side were in trouble and even before the big West Indian could really get going, he was hit by beamer from Harshal Patel on his left shoulder. There was a lengthy break as the physio assessed him but he just seemed to shrug off the injury. At that point, Russell had 21 off 13 balls.

Then, he got mad. Russell has his zones but he is not a one-dimensional player, like a Yusuf Pathan for instance. He can attack the full deliveries and the shorter balls as well. Add his immense power and his current form to the mix and the bowlers will never find it easy to bowl to him.

From 21 off 13, Russell sped to 62 off 28 balls before he was dismissed. Rarely, if ever, would Kotla have witnessed such carnage. Last year, the West Indian all-rounder had struggled with fitness issues but this year, he seems to be an altogether different beast.

Andre Russell for KKR in IPL 2019

24 Mar: 49*(19) SR 257.89 4x4, 4x6 v SRH (Kolkata) 
27 Mar: 48 (17) SR 282.35 3x4, 5x6 v KXIP (Kolkata) 
30 Mar: 62 (28) SR 221.42 4x4, 6x6 v DC (Delhi)

Overall: 159 (64) S/r 248.44 11x4, 15x6

Prithvi Shaw comes to the party

For Delhi to stand a chance after Kolkata piled on 185/8, Rishabh Pant would have to deliver. That was the overwhelming feeling. But young Prithvi Shaw delivered a masterclass of his own. It wasn’t as brutal as Russell’s innings but because he was opening the innings, he didn’t need to. He could get his eye in and then start attacking.

So, he worked his way to 36 off 24 balls, a quick but not exceptional pace. Then, he flipped a switch. Fours and sixes flowed from his bat as he took Delhi towards what looked like a win in regular time. But then, as the game became tight, his inexperience showed.

He was dismissed for 99 (55 balls), going for a big shot when the requirement was for a run-a-ball. He regretted it instantly.

“I thought I missed the opportunity to finish the game for the team. Rather than scoring one run, I was looking to hit it big because I didn’t want the game to get this close. But the boys finished it off really well in the super over and I think we deserve this win. I spoke to my support-staff, Ricky sir, Sourav sir, Praveen sir and I figured out that I was going a little too hard early. After getting two fours in an over I was looking to do silly things. So I changed my plan and looked to take my time and hit along the ground,” Shaw said after the game.

He added: “I think the pitch changed a bit, the bowlers’ marks opened up and Kuldeep and Piyush were getting good turn. Batting became difficult for us because their slower ones were working quite well, but we were looking to pick the singles and doubles. I have ten more matches to come and I am hoping to continue with the same intensity in the rest of them as well and give my 100 percent. “

Rabada’s Super Over

Then, it was time for the Super Over. No one was quite sure who the Delhi Capitals would pick for the over but they finally went with the class of Rabada. In his conversation with skipper Shreyas Iyer, the South African confided that his plan of attack was yorkers.

The first ball was a full toss and Russell simply placed it and it sped to the square leg boundary. The second ball was a yorker, Russell managed to jam his bat down just in time. The third was even better – 147 kmph and right at the base of the middle stump. Russell tried to keep it out but the ball was just too good.

It immediately brought back memories of another Rabada yorker.

But his job wasn’t done. DC had scored just 10 runs in their Super Over. Rabada could not allow himself to be distracted and he did not. Yorkers and low full tosses were the order of the day, and KKR were simply unable to get them away. A single off the fourth ball was followed by a single off the fifth ball, which left KKR needing 5 runs off the final ball. Once again, they managed just a single.

There is lot of talk around slower balls but few deliveries in the game can match the impact of the well bowled yorker.