It seemed that the game was done. At 70-5, Rajasthan Royals (RR) were down and out. Varun Chakravarthy was bowling beautifully, and none of the RR batters had a clue. Yashasvi Jaiswal, after a 58-run partnership with Riyan Parag, had been dismissed, and Eden Gardens had found its voice.
For the next few overs, it was all quiet and most in the stands had started to prepare for a Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) win. Andre Russell, after a miserable season, had played a match-winning effort – that was the feeling. That was when Parag decided to cut loose. Six sixes in seven balls off Moeen Ali and Varun, and the game had changed. The 35,000 people were shell shocked as Parag took control.
The reverse sweep off Varun for six summed up the innings. Timing, precision and ability had all come together in that one shot. Varun could not believe what had just happened as the ball was sent into the stands. That was when KKR lost control. Anxiety crept in and the fear of going out of the competition started to take over. Parag, however, was unfazed. He seemed like a man possessed, and it was an exhibition of batsmanship of the highest pedigree.
Parag has had a very indifferent IPL, much like his already eliminated team. He has also been accused of nepotism by some. Many have said he is an unworthy captain, and Jaiswal should have been the choice in Sanju Samson’s absence. The poor season hadn’t helped, and he needed something really dramatic to change the narrative.
That was what he was able to produce at Eden Gardens, and in doing so, he almost pushed KKR out of the IPL. A stunned Eden was silent until Harshit Rana returned to dismiss Shimron Hetmyer with a brutal bouncer. Then, Sunil Narine – who else? – conceded just five in his final over to reverse the pressure. And when Parag holed out off Harshit, going for the straight six that would have taken him to his maiden T20 hundred, KKR were alive to fight another day.
Or were they? With 22 needed off Vaibhav Arora’s final over, Shubham Dubey – KKR’s Impact Sub – went 6-4-6 to reduce the equation to three off the final ball. But Arora finally nailed the elusive yorker, and Jofra Archer was run out going for the second run that would have take the game to a Super Over.
For a fair while though, people shook their heads in disbelief as Parag lorded it over Kolkata. For KKR, who have left themselves with no margin for error, it was almost a painful end to a patchy season – thanks to a young man with a point or two to prove.
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