Some say the IPL is, to put it euphemistically, pre-ordained. If that were true, then those divining the destiny of the matches have been watching too many Netflix thrillers of late. With no nails left to bite and barely any nerves left to jangle, we bring you Wrong ’Uns, My Kolkata’s weekly awards that promises to honour the brilliant and the bizarre (often one and the same) during the IPL season.
For our sixth instalment of 2023, we reinstate two of our most cherished categories and pass on our least cherishable asset to a man who cannot stop smiling this season.
The Socrates Award for Best On-Field Dialogue
“Rinku… Rinku… Rinku” resonated across the Eden Gardens in the dying moments of the thriller between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Monday. And the man of the hour, Rinku Singh, did not let the City of Joy down. Finishing the game in his inimitable style, Rinku caught up with his skipper and good friend Nitish Rana to discuss his heroics and how he feels when one of the most enchanting stadiums in world cricket shows its immense love for him.
Most Startling Statistic of the Week
Who is the finest finisher in the IPL this season? And no, we do not mean your data packs. While the on-field contenders may be many, one man’s stats pop out more than anyone else’s. For the Mumbai Indians (MI), Tim David has been the finishing heir to Kieron Pollard, as evident from his stellar finishing numbers this season, with a jaw-dropping strike rate of 200 and an incredible average of 126.
The Easter Award for Remarkable Resurrection
Jos Buttler’s innings of 95 went in vain as SRH chased down 215 runs against RR TT archives
Like so many things in the IPL this year, it seemed possible only when it was done. The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) had their backs against the wall chasing 215 against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Jaipur. When they lost their fifth wicket, that of Aiden Markram, the Orange Army still needed 41 runs with 13 balls left to face. Cometh the hour, cometh the men. In this case, Abdul Samad and Glenn Phillips, who took the match down to the wire, before Sandeep Sharma’s ill-fated no ball handed Samad the chance to settle it with a stupendous last-ball six.
The Kalbaisakhi Award for the Most Pleasant Surprise
Virat Kohli was in a charitable mood on his return to Delhi earlier this week. So much so that he seemingly forgot about his strike rate while batting and went on to have an extended catch-up session with the Delhi Capitals’s (DC) Ishant Sharma that suggested Kohli had forgotten about the result, too. But nothing was more surprising (or more charitable?) than Kohli shaking the hand of Sourav Ganguly, apparently burying the hatchet over which of the two former Indian captains had the bigger ego. Only one thing is left for both men to do now — go back to following each other on Instagram!
The Jai-Veeru Award for Enduring Friendship
Most brothers happen to be good friends, but prior to the Pandyas, no two siblings had led opposing teams in an IPL match before. That bit of history got made in Ahmedabad on Sunday when Hardik’s Gujarat Titans (GT) took on Krunal’s Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), with the latter leading in the absence of the injured K.L. Rahul. Prior to the start, the Pandyas shared a cute moment on the pitch, with Hardik attempting to fix his brother’s hat and collar before giving him a warm hug.
Best Expert Suggestion to Fall on Deaf Ears
Even half a day after a frenetic finish between SRH and RR on Sunday, the internet was still processing the compelling chaos of the game’s climax. However, Murali Kartik, on Twitter, was looking out for the Royals (or more precisely, the bowlers), pointing out how Sandeep Sharma paid the ultimate price for overstepping, but batters (in this case Marco Jansen) are never reprimanded for rushing out of their crease. Maybe Kartik could have gone one step further to suggest that every bowler has the divine right to Mankad.
Back with a Bang
It has been far from a vintage season for Andre Russell, but Russell Muscle rolled back the clock on Monday night at Eden to help put Punjab to the sword. His 42 off 23 allowed KKR to regain the momentum during a stiff chase, with the turning point of the contest coming when Russell smashed Sam Curran for three consecutive sixes in the penultimate over.
The White Cap
Forget his indifferent stats and his team’s indifferent results. Just look at his body language. Rohit Sharma is walking his way through IPL 2023 as if he has taken himself out to Disneyland. With more smiles than runs to offer, the Hitman has been misfiring repeatedly, but does not seem too bothered about anything at all. Will that change now that we have given him our infamous White Cap? Some of his teammates should be hoping it does, lest they be blessed with the most insulting reward we have to offer.
