The COVID second wave is raging all around us but the show IPL must go on! Starting on Friday, 9 April, we've already had four matches of IPL 2021. The first one was at the M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore. So far every team has played one game – some of the results were expected, some not so much.
Check out this video featuring IPL Players – a #IPL2021 curtain-raiser of sorts. The excitement is high – so what if we don’t have in-person attendance at stadiums.
RCB won the toss and put Mumbai Indians in who made 159 for 9. Chris Lynn top scored with 49 off 35.
RCB took their time winning the match; finally getting to the target score.
Harshal Patel bagged 5 wickets while conceding 27 runs.
He was adjudged Player of the Match.
A B DeVilliers may not have played cricket for a few months, but he came through for his team with his 48 runs.
The second match was at Wankhede and DC won the toss, deciding to bowl. Chennai Super Kings made 188 for 7 with Suresh Raina making a fine 54 off 36; top-scoring for his team.
Along with his co-opener Shikhar Dhawan (who made 85 off 54 to get the Player of the Match award), Shaw made 72 off just 38.
Thanks in large part to Dhawan’s masterful innings, Delhi Capitals won with eight balls and seven wickets to spare.
Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and decided to bowl first. The Kolkata Knight Riders made 187 for 6 with Nitish Rana making 80 off 56 for which he bagged Player of the Match award.
His quick-fire 22 off 9 balls at the end of the innings gave his team an extra fillip.
Manish Pandey’s 61* off 44 was ineffectual as SRH fell short by 10 runs in the end.
Pandey remained not out till the end and even hit a six at the end but it was pointless – just like his team at the end of the match.
Rajasthan Royals won the toss and decided to field first. The Punjab Kings made 221/6 with skipper K L Rahul top-scoring with 91 off 50.
Deepak Hooda smashed 64 off just 28 balls, poetically hitting 6 sixes and 4 fours.
Sanju Samson of RR was something of a lone warrior for his team. His 119 off just 63 balls was in vain ultimately. The consolation would have been the Man of the Match award that he recieved.
In the end, RR fell short by just a few runs, thanks in large part to this guy. Having won their respective matches, DC, KKR, PBKS and RCB now have two points each. In the fifth match of the IPL 2021, KKR takes on MI on 13 April.
Do you have something interesting you would like to share? Write to us at [email protected]
