IPL 2019: Delhi Capitals beat Kolkata Knight Riders in Super Over after Prithvi Shaw heroics

NEW DELHI: It takes a lot to match a quintessential Andre Russell innings. It's not just carefree, often mistaken as mindless, 'slam bang' batting. Saturday evening also asserted it isn't also about the new-age 360-degree genre of batting. Kolkata Knight Riders' sprint to 185/8 from a precarious 61/5 in 9.1 overs against Delhi Capitals here on Saturday evening may not seem to be an unworldly effort in the world of T20 cricket. In a space of 43 balls and 95 runs, Russell and skipper Dinesh Karthik shattered a lot of myths about a batting in T20 cricket.

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The next generation of Indian batting in Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant, all groomed at the Delhi franchise, almost went one up on the experience of Karthik and Russell which built up the onslaught at the back end of the innings as the match went into the Super Over after Capitals finished at 185/6. Much to the home team's joy, Kagiso Rabada speared in perfect yorkers to defend 10 runs in the Super Over.

The Capitals youngsters showed they are classy, strong, audacious and they also almost proved they could think beyond their years on the go. If only had Hanuma Vihari decided to dab the penultimate ball of the match from Kuldeep Yadav into the outfield for the remaining two runs instead of going for the big six to be holed out at the mid-wicket boundary.

While the KKR duo banished the perpetual question mark on their maturity with a 28-ball 62 and a 36-ball 50 respectively, Shaw's breathtaking 55-ball 99 led the way for the young brigade to enhance its reputation.

Not much a captain could do, when a man, such as Russell, with brute power, a ticking brain and murder in his mind decides to unleash himself. He followed the text book which harps on hitting in the 'V' in front of the wicket. It's just that he went aerial and for a brief moment would have forced the local organisers to post someone at the adjacent Ambedkar stadium to throw back the balls.

Shaw decided to stick to the conventional way of batting, mixing finesse and audacity in the right measure. They bowled short, he pulled them with disdain. They went full, he went straight. Shaw and Iyer ensured Karthik became reluctant in giving Kuldeep Yadav, India's biggest spin find in the last four years, the ball after going for 33 in his first two overs.

Every hit to the boundary post the 15th over drew a fist pump from Pant and Shaw as if it was a reply to Russell's brutal charge. It made up for the forgettable moment when a Harshal Patel beamer literally woke up a giant too early for the home team's comfort. Russell, rubbing his left shoulder for a few balls after the incident, brought out his big willow, wielded it like a sledge hammer and knocked the wind out of Shreyas Iyer's team.