Sports

RR vs GT: Rashid Khan’s strange but effective ways with the bat, Riyan Parag’s breakthrough with the bat and other key moments

April 11, 2024
S K Mittal

Rashid Khan’s batting follows his very own coaching manual. But it is amazingly effective, even against long odds. Titans needed 40 off 15 deliveries when he came out to bat. The Afghan all-rounder sits deep in the crease and scythes the ball with his own version of the helicopter shot. He seems to correctly predict what the bowler is trying to do in the final overs and knowingly or otherwise, seems to find gaps and the rope, as he did in Jaipur on Wednesday. A supremely effective cameo that took his side past the finish line.

Straight out of the book

A straight six off Avesh Khan showed Shubman Gill doesn’t have to resort to brute force to force the pace in T20 cricket. It was just an extension of the arms to a delivery, admittedly in the proverbial ‘slot’, that wouldn’t have been out of place in a Test match. The Gujarat Titans skipper is always easy on the eye, and always seems to have a bit more time to play his shots, even against decent pace. Though his opening partnership with Sai Sudharsan didn’t go at break-neck speed, it laid the foundation for a tilt on the formidable Rajasthan Royals total later in the innings. Gill played a splendid unbeaten innings against Punjab Kings a few days ago, but it didn’t result in the desired result. Titans were setting their stall for the long haul, aware that a disproportionate amount of burden lay on Gill’s shoulders in the absence of David Miller, who could be relied upon to be ice-cool at the business end of a chase. With Hardik Pandya having gone back to Mumbai Indians, Gill has all of a sudden become central to Titans’ ambitions, both as a batsman at the top of the order and a young captain learning on the job.

Wade drops Parag twice

It would have tested better wicketkeepers of spin than Matthew Wade to nab the two chances offered by Riyan Parag and created by Rashid Khan, who amidst all the mayhem went for just 18 in his four overs. Rashid has this ability to have his palms face the sky at release, almost as if he were bowling a googly, but still use his fingers to spin the ball away from the right-handed batsmen. He had got rid of Jos Buttler with one such delivery and would have had Parag too in the same over. But Wade couldn’t get his gloves in time and could only the ball ricochet off his right pad. In the next Rashid over, same pattern reoccured and this one was ‘easier’ than the previous. Not really dead-easy, as the ball came at a fair clip off the outside edge and it would have needed something like MS Dhoni’s crocodile jaws of hands to pouch that. In and out it went, and both Wade and Rashid groaned.

Parag no longer a surprise

The time when Riyan Parag used to be trolled mercilessly on social media now seems to be in the distant past. The batsman who comes out at No.4 for Rajasthan Royals these days is a completely transformed player, who finds the rope and stands almost at will. The situation of the game doesn’t matter, the 22-year-old has been able to mould his game accordingly. He had his troubles at the start against the Afghan spin duo of Noor Ahmed and Rashid Khan, with Wade dropping him twice. The Royals were getting stuck, but Parag along with skipper Sanju Samson soon broke free with a flurry of boundaries. His first six, off Noor, just cleared the deep midwicket boundary, but was in full control thereafter with the spectators often called up for fielding duty. Whenever the spinners over-pitched, the slop-sweep came out to devastating effect. Mohit Sharma had been difficult to get away with his combination of slower balls and short off-cutters, but Parag took him for six over wide long-on for his third half-century of the season. Parag 2.0 is definitely a big upgrade than the previous version, and the whole credit of the transformation goes to the player himself.

Not five-star fielding

It was Over 8.5. When Sanju Samson tapped a length ball to backward point off Noor Ahmad, it seemed like the most innocuous moment of a cricket match. It was a good ball alright, but cautiously and a bit nervily dealt with by the Royals captain. But Gujarat Titans decided to spice things up a little bit. Sai Sudharsan’s idea to take a shot at the stumps from backward point wasn’t the worst of ideas. But, off balance, his throw was off target. Noor was unable to get to it in time. But there was still no damage to be caused as the ball went to Mohit Sharma at deep midwicket. But the pacer produced a moment to forget as he let the ball through his legs. From an eventless defensive prod, Sanju Samson earned himself five runs. Frustration all around for Gujarat.

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