After a long and tiring wait, Karnataka’s emerging pace sensation Vidwath Kaverappa got the opportunity to make his IPL (Indian Premier League) debut on Thursday (May 9).
The Punjab Kings captain Sam Curran tossed the new ball towards the debutant and he (Vidwath) showed why he is rated so highly in the domestic arena.
The 25-year-old took just three deliveries to induce a false stroke from Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s most prolific batter this season, Virat Kohli.
In an attempt to stamp his authority early in the game, Virat made the quintessential back-and-across movement and tried to flick a delivery from a touch outside his off stump towards the on side.
Kaverappa’s away movement took the outside half of the bat and the ball ballooned in the air towards the cover point region. But to Kaverappa’s and Punjab’s disappointment, Ashutosh Sharma failed to hang on to the opportunity and shelled it.
What could have been a wicket and a dot ball ended up being three runs for the visitors. Kaverappa followed it up with a dot ball to Faf du Plessis and got taken away for two consecutive boundaries at the end of the over.
However, Kaverappa displayed a champion mindset and didn’t let the early setback get to his nerves.
Kaverappa laid a trap for du Plessis and the RCB skipper couldn’t resist. He put a deep point for du Plessis and bowled a short and wide one to lure him into the trap and the RCB captain took the bait.
Du Plessis sliced it toward the fence on the off side and the boundary rider grabbed the opportunity.
Kaverappa made his debut more special as he dismissed RCB’s in-form batter Will Jacks before he could announce himself in the middle.
Though the Karnataka pacer got a bit of stick towards the later stage which ruined his bowling figures, he made a statement with his performance and has earned the right to make it to the team sheet in the remaining games of the season.