Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga’s buy led to raised eyebrows when Royal Challengers Bangalore forked out a mind-boggling Rs 10.75 crore for the leg-spinner at the auction recently. Considering the 24-year-old was preferred over their trusted marshal Yuzvendra Chahal, the pressure was on Hasaranga to deliver right from the first ball he bowled in the opener against Punjab Kings. With figures of 1/40, it was hardly the best of starts.
At the DY Patil stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday, much like the rest of the RCB bowling unit, Hasaranga redeemed himself, returning an impressive 4 for 20 as Faf du Plessis’ men restricted Kolkata Knight Riders to 128 in 18.5 overs.
On a night when bowlers called the shots and 17 wickets fell, RCB huffed, puffed and crawled to a three-wicket victory with four balls to spare. RCB were reduced to 17/3 in the third over. David Willey (18) and Sherfane Rutherford (28) then resurrected the innings with their patient 45-run stand for the fourth wicket. Shahbaz Ahmed’s 20-ball 27 (3×6) boosted the RCB run chase before Dinesh Karthik joined Rutherford to take the team closer to victory.
But there was still drama to unfold as KKR bowlers were miserly. Add to it the terrible mix-up between Karthik and Harshal Patel in the 19th over which could have seen the former heading back to the dugout. Umesh Yadav’s lack of application saved the day for RCB as he sent the ball in the wrong direction. Needing seven runs off the last over, Karthik closed the deal with a maximum and a boundary off Andre Russell.
