KKR vs RR: Kolkata Knight Riders won by 8 wickets

Royals batted first and fold up for 81 (the lowest total in IPL 4) in 15.2 overs. 


Balaji, in his first season for KKR after being 'bought over' from Chennai Super Kings, returned remarkable figures of three for 15 in 3 overs, while Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan took two off two balls. Brett Lee did his job as well, so did Iqbal Abdulla who picked up a wicket besides running out Faiz Fazal.

The Knights, handed the luxury of chasing four runs an over, saw a rare first-over dismissal of the prolific and accomplished Jacques Kallis. That, too, off a short ball with the South African opener shaping for a pull off Shaun Tait only to check his shot and top-edge a high catch.

But so meagre was the target, Gambhir and Manvinder Bisla could afford to take their time in the face of some fiery stuff from Tait, who steamed in with four slips and a gully in his opening spell in an obvious effort to rip off the KKR top-order. Bisla succumbed to Warne, but Gambhir (35 not out off 35 balls, 3x4), who is truly looking like a man on a mission, and local boy Manoj Tiwary (30 not out off 26 balls, 4x4, 1x6) stepped on the pedal and raced past the target with 6.1 overs to spare.

No IPL team possible in Kolkata without Dada: Shah Rukh

NEW DELHI: Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly was left red-faced as none of the 10 franchises put his name up in the wish list for the second time after the first round of auctions ended on Sunday.

However, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) owner Shah Rukh Khan soothes balm on the ageing Dada, by commenting that there is no IPL team possible in Kolkata without Sourav Ganguly.

Shah Rukh also said that he will talk to Ganguly and that KKR will try to take him onboard, since he remains unsold in the recently concluded IPL auction.

The real story of the second day of the IPL auction was Ganguly. Speculations were rife throughout the day that one of the franchises might just pick him once the unsold players are put up for the second time.

To everyone's horror, among the 28 players who were re-auctioned at the request of the franchises, Ganguly's name didn't figure.

It was Murali Karthik who turned out to be a gainer as he was bought by Sahara Pune Warriors at $400,000.

There is every reason that the most successful Indian captain will feel insulted as he had prolonged his cricketing career only to play in the IPL. With franchises turning their backs on him, it is certainly one of the most ignominious ends for the Prince of Kolkata.

One of the realistic reason could be his base price of $400,000. By the time the re-auctions of the unsold players were held, it became clear that his old team KKR who had a purse of $425,000 won't bid for him. Ditto for Chennai Super Kings who had almost exhausted their purse with only $385,000 remaining.

Everyone was looking forward to Sahara Pune Warriors - a franchise with whom Ganguly has been linked for quite some time. However with three editions already over, even the new teams know how to get their economics right as most of them found it fit to spend the remaining money on uncapped domestic players who would form the core of the team.

source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com