IPL 2022: Who is Kuldeep Sen, the Rajasthan Royals bowler who held Stoinis to 15 runs in the final over of their match against LSG?

  • April 11, 2022, 12:54 p.m.

It is never easy to defend a total at the Wankhede Stadium. In all four games played at the venue in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL), teams batting first have lost the match. And then when you have a strike hitter like Marcus Stoinis at the other end, who just gave yet another glimpse of his boundary-hitting abilities in the penultimate over to reduce the equation to 15 required off 6, the bowling team knows they have to get it spot on in the last over. But the Rajasthan Royals had already bowled out their premium bowlers, leaving young Kuldeep Sen with the massive responsibility.

The 25-year-old cricketer, who hails from Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, was playing his maiden IPL game on Sunday. Four years back, he made his first-class debut for Madhya Pradesh and picked up a five-wicket haul that same month, and a few months later, he was handed his debut T20 cap in the 2018–19 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. In his last Syed Mushtaq Ali season, prior to IPL selection, he had picked four wickets in five innings at 7.75 runs an over.

For young Kuldeep, he had nothing to lose in that encounter. But there is much more to gain.

Lucknow Super Giants' Avesh Khan managed a single in the first ball and Stoinis took strike with 15 required off 5. Kuldeep went full and wide and Stoinis failed to connect. Still, four balls to go.

The plan remained the same for Kuldeep, and anticipating it, Stoinis shuffled across and attempted the scoop, but was deceived by the pace of the take off, and he failed again. Kuldeep stuck to his plan and got three dots in a row, meaning Rajasthan was on the verge of a win. Stoinis managed a six and a four in the last two balls, with Kuldeep conceding 11 in all and hence successfully defending the 15 runs.

Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson revealed that he had Kuldeep in his mind for the last over after being impressed with his ability to bowl wide yorkers in the domestic season.

"Got the feeling that he has done well and he is confident (talking about Kuldeep Sen) to go and execute his wide yorker, which he has been working on in the off season. "I saw him in Syed Mushtaq and he was nailing his wide yorkers," he said in the post-match presentation.

Author : Rajdhani Delhi Representative

Rajdhani delhi representative

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