The 7th season of Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL) was flagged off in Abu Dhabi with an opening event rich in cricketing pedigree as well as a generous dose of fun and frolic.
Welcome by H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mubarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Culture, and Youth & Community Development, in which he spoke of the UAE is strength of mind as a nation to move forward in the sporting field.
Then it was the time for some Bollywood style masti as the beautiful Indian actress, Deepika Padukone sizzled the stage with a lively number that mesmerized the audience.
Jacques Kallis proved his all-round worth again a few months after his international retirement, while the bowling strength of Kolkata Knight Riders led by Morne Morkel and Narine, helped Gambhir team thump caring champions Mumbai Indians by 41 runs in the season opener of IPL-7 at Abu.
Pandey hit six boundaries and two sixes in his 53-ball 64, and added 131 runs in 15.2 overs Kallis looked rusty for a large part of his 46-ball 72 as he struggled to rotate the strike and even unsuccessfully tried to play unorthodox shots that he was not known for during his legendary career Kallis’ half-century off 37 balls with Manish Pandey getting into the act as well.
Mumbai Indians never got going in their run chase, after Kallis and Manish Pandey’s half-centuries had set the foundation for Kolkata’s 163 for 5, in the face of some disciplined new ball bowling by Morkel.
Tare hit Sunil Narine’s (4-20) second ball for a six, but the West Indies spinner struck with his fourth delivery in IPL-7 when he knocked back Hussey’s (3 from 13 deliveries) middle stump. Shakib Al Hasan then caught Tare (24) off his own bowling as Mumbai slipped to 40 for 2 in the 8th over, and their tough task was made more difficult by Kallis and Shakib Al Hassan, who did an outstanding job of choking the runs in the middle overs, as the asking rate kept climbing.
Ambati Rayudu -48 from 40 balls had his struggle in the middle and any remote hope that Mumbai had of chasing down the target evaporate when Robin Uthappa stumped him off Narine’s bowling in the 17th over. Narine returned to clean bowl Corey Anderson and Harbhajan Singh in the 19th over as his guile proved too much for the Mumbai batsmen. Finally Kolkata Knight Riders Beat Mumbai Indians by 41 runs.
Player of the match
J Kallis
Score Details
Kolkata Knight Riders-163/5
Mumbai Indians-127/7
