Third week of IPL: Arjun Tendulkar makes a long-awaited debut

mid-day.com looks at performances that made headlines in the third week of the cash-rich T20 league

Arjun makes long-awaited debut

Arjun Tendulkar, son of legendary batsman Sachin, made a long-awaited IPL debut for Mumbai Indians (MI) against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. Arjun, who was handed the new ball, opened the attack for MI, conceded just five in his first over. In his second and team’s third over, the left-arm pacer was up against centurion Venkatesh Iyer. He conceded just three in the first four balls, but Iyer charged down the track in the last two deliveries of the over, smashing him for a four and six respectively. He conceded 17 runs in two overs and wasn’t called back to complete his quota of four overs.

Iyer's ton in vain

Venkatesh Iyer (104 off 51 balls v MI) became only the second player to smash a century for KKR after Brendon McCullum in the opening match of the inaugural IPL in 2008. However, his effort went in vain as MI chased the 186-run target comfortably with 14 balls to spare. Iyer deserved full credit for his superb innings as the other batsmen failed miserably with the second highest score of the innings came from No. 7 batter Andre Russell (21 not out off 11 balls).  

Also Read: Second week of IPL: Last ball finishes and Rinku's five sixes

It’s not over till it’s over

Wednesday’s encounter saw a never-give-up attitude from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as they snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against table-topper Rajasthan Royals (RR). With 155 required for victory, RR dominated for over 11 overs in the as they were comfortably placed at 87 without losing a wicket after 11.2 overs. With just 68 needed off 52 balls and 10 wickets in hand, it looked like an easy win for RR. However, things didn’t go their way as the Sanju Samson-led team threw away the advantage and were soon reduced to 104-4 in 15.1 overs. In the end, the former champions went on to lose  by 10 runs.

Winning return for ‘skipper’ Virat

Virat Kohli fans were in for a surprise after the batting star returned as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper against Punjab Kings for the first time since 2021 after regular skipper Faf du Plessis suffered a rib injury during his side's previous match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Though Du Plessis was included in the playing XI, he was substituted by pacer Vijaykumar Vyshak while fielding. The right-hand batsman didn't disappoint either as he went on to score 59 off 47 balls, adding 137 runs for the opening wicket with Du Plessis (84 off 56 balls) as the Bangalore side went on to win the match by 24 runs.

Finally, Delhi deliver

Delhi Capitals (DC) registered their first win this season after beating KKR by four wickets. The victory ensured the David Warner-led side stay alive in the tournament after suffering five defeats on the trot. DC came up with their best show in the tournament to dismiss KKR for just 127 in the allotted 20 overs. In reply, the hosts suffered few hiccups, but managed to reach the target with four balls to spare.

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