Indian Premier League, 2008-09
Wisden's review of Kolkata Knight Riders v Rajasthan Royals, Indian Premier League, 2008-09
Nagraj Gollapudi
15-Apr-2010
At Durban, May 20, 2009. Kolkata Knight Riders won by four wickets. Toss: Kolkata Knight
Riders. Rajasthan Royals 101-9 (20 overs) (C. K. Langeveldt 3-15); Kolkata Knight Riders 102-6
(19.3 overs) (L. R. Shukla 48*). Kolkata Knight Riders 2 pts. Man of the Match: L. R. Shukla.
Coach Buchanan's eccentric decision to pack his Kolkata team with batsmen had kept out local
favourite Charl Langeveldt until now, but he made an instant impact with a first-ball wicket, and
added two more in a four-over spell which never allowed Rajasthan to take off (Langeveldt did,
however, pick up an injury which stopped him playing for Derbyshire later in the year). Rajasthan's
eventual 101 equalled Kolkata's own score against Deccan Chargers as the lowest first-innings total
of this tournament, but with Warne inspiring his men with tight lines and innovative field-placing,
Kolkata still had trouble in chasing it, crashing to 45-6 before Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Ajit Agarkar
(13*) dug in. Defeat for Rajasthan scuppered the holders' semi-final hopes.