By Debajit Kar
KOLKATA: The youngsters and the lesser known players are calling the shots in the ongoing IPL. The other day it was Rashid Khan (skipper of Afghanistan national cricket team) and now it’s Shivam Mavi.
Yes, it was Shivam Mavi who ensured Rajasthan Royal tasting defeat on Wednesday. Having set a victory target of 175, the men in pink began their chase in a handsome manner. After Pat Cummins scalped the prized wicket of compatriot Steve Smith, the Kolkata Knight Riders medium pacer dealt a twin blow by removing the dangerman Sanju Samson and dangerous looking Jos Butler.
Rajasthan Royals never recovered from those huge setbacks.
Almost every Rajasthan Royals’ batters lost their wickets playing rash shots in their chase, Mavi not only rose to the occasion but capitalised on their mistakes.
Having brought in as the second change bowler in Kolkata Knight Riders’ bowling attack, Shivam Mavi first sent Sanju Samson to the dugout after being held by Sunil Narine in the mid-wicket region playing a pre-meditated shot and then had Jos Butler caught at gully region by Varun Chakravarthy.
Butler was really looking dangerous then. The score became 39/3 after 6.1 overs. Then wickets began to tumble at regular intervals and Rajasthan Royals lost the match by 37 runs. Except a fine knock of unbeaten 54 off 36 balls by Tom Curran no other batter could rise to the occasion. The adjudicators were very correct in declaring this youngster the Man-of-the-Match.
Mavi finished his amazing spell with the figures of 4-0-20-2, with 13 dot balls!
