If the IPL is “where talent meets opportunity” then this match in Kolkata showed both talent and opportunity have no age limit. While Wednesday belonged to the 17-year-old Sarfaraz Khan of Royal Challengers Bangalore, Thursday belonged to Brad Hogg, a man 27 years his senior. On a pitch that would take turn, against a batting attack that have struggled against it, Hogg took four for 29 from his allotted overs to curtail an early Chennai Super Kings charge and afford Kolkata Knight Riders a canter towards a seven-wicket victory.
After Gautam Gambhir had called correctly and inserted Super Kings, carnage ensued in the powerplay. With the first ball of the match, Pat Cummins removed Dwayne Smith thanks to a fantastic diving catch by Essex’s Ryan ten Doeschate at point, before runs and wickets flowed to leave Super Kings 69 for four after the opening six overs. It was that final powerpay over, the first of Hogg’s four, that ultimately settled the match.
With Hogg’s first ball Brendon McCullum (32) was undone by a bit of extra pace, before Faf du Plessis (20) ran past the fifth – one that turned the other way – to leave Super Kings in a mess with 14 overs left. That they managed to see them out for a respectable score was down to Dwayne Bravo and Ravi Jadeja, who put on 55 for the sixth wicket, before a returning Hogg and Andre Russell closed out the innings well.
There were few alarms in the chase, with Knight Riders starting cautiously before the opener Robin Uthappa and Russell came together at 57 for three in the 10th over. While Uthappa played a classy hand, finding runs here and there, plus the odd boundary, to top score with 80, it was Russell who took the game beyond the Super Kings attack, who were shorn of Ravi Ashwin through injury, with 55 from only 32 balls.
Knight Riders’ victory avenges their narrow defeat to Super Kings only two days ago and sees them climb to third in the table. Super Kings remain top, equal on 12 points with Rajasthan Royals, who have played a game more.
