Perfect timing and a missed opportunity
ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders in Bangalore
The timing
Midway through Royal Challengers Bangalore's innings, Tillakaratne Dilshan was the last of the big name batsmen remaining. In the 11th over, he tried to power a shortish ball from Rajat Bhatia off the backfoot. He missed but there seemed to be no danger in the stroke. However, Brad Haddin, who was standing up to the stumps, noticed that Dilshan's back foot was momentarily in the air as the batsman attempted to balance himself after playing the shot. Haddin took off the bails in that instant and Dilshan was headed back to the dressing room.
Midway through Royal Challengers Bangalore's innings, Tillakaratne Dilshan was the last of the big name batsmen remaining. In the 11th over, he tried to power a shortish ball from Rajat Bhatia off the backfoot. He missed but there seemed to be no danger in the stroke. However, Brad Haddin, who was standing up to the stumps, noticed that Dilshan's back foot was momentarily in the air as the batsman attempted to balance himself after playing the shot. Haddin took off the bails in that instant and Dilshan was headed back to the dressing room.
The wasted reprieve
Mayank Agarwal was nearly dismissed in the middle of the 12th over. His inside-out lofted drive ended up as a tough chance for Jaydev Unadkat at long-on. Unadkat made good ground to his left but the ball floated beyond him, and he could only palm it over for six. Agarwal, though, didn't capitalise on the reprieve. Two deliveries later, he swatted a catch to Yusuf Pathan at midwicket, to end a seven-ball innings.
Mayank Agarwal was nearly dismissed in the middle of the 12th over. His inside-out lofted drive ended up as a tough chance for Jaydev Unadkat at long-on. Unadkat made good ground to his left but the ball floated beyond him, and he could only palm it over for six. Agarwal, though, didn't capitalise on the reprieve. Two deliveries later, he swatted a catch to Yusuf Pathan at midwicket, to end a seven-ball innings.
The takedown
In the ninth over of the chase, Gautam Gambhir launched a length delivery towards long-off. Saurabh Tiwary raced across to his right and got a hand on it but couldn't latch on, sending it over the rope for six. To make matters worse, Tiwary couldn't stop quickly enough and barreled into the Royal Challengers dug-out, nearly taking out their physio Evans Speechly. Tiwary tumbled over beyond the dug-out, Speechly escaped the tackle unhurt and the Royal Challengers were happy there wasn't another addition to their injury list
In the ninth over of the chase, Gautam Gambhir launched a length delivery towards long-off. Saurabh Tiwary raced across to his right and got a hand on it but couldn't latch on, sending it over the rope for six. To make matters worse, Tiwary couldn't stop quickly enough and barreled into the Royal Challengers dug-out, nearly taking out their physio Evans Speechly. Tiwary tumbled over beyond the dug-out, Speechly escaped the tackle unhurt and the Royal Challengers were happy there wasn't another addition to their injury list
The maiden
A maiden in a Twenty20 is a rare occurrence. Even rarer is a maiden in the Powerplay. It was a feat pulled off by Brett Lee at the start of the Royal Challengers Bangalore innings, and that too against one of the world's most explosive batsmen in world cricket, Chris Gayle. Lee mixed in some full and wide deliveries with his back-of-a-length offerings to keep Gayle guessing. Lee nearly had the perfect finish to the over as well, as Gayle bottom-edged the ball just wide of the stumps. It was a stark contrast to the start Gayle had provided the last time these two teams met - smashing four fours in the first over from Lee.
A maiden in a Twenty20 is a rare occurrence. Even rarer is a maiden in the Powerplay. It was a feat pulled off by Brett Lee at the start of the Royal Challengers Bangalore innings, and that too against one of the world's most explosive batsmen in world cricket, Chris Gayle. Lee mixed in some full and wide deliveries with his back-of-a-length offerings to keep Gayle guessing. Lee nearly had the perfect finish to the over as well, as Gayle bottom-edged the ball just wide of the stumps. It was a stark contrast to the start Gayle had provided the last time these two teams met - smashing four fours in the first over from Lee.
The overthrows
Kolkata Knight Riders were falling apart as Daniel Vettori and Raju Bhatkal revived the Royal Challengers after they had fallen to 91 for 6. Brett Lee fired in a yorker to Bhatkal, who dug it out a couple of yards to the left of Lee. The non-striker Vettori had taken a few paces down the track before turning back. Lee shied at the stumps, and missed, allowing an overthrow. As the batsmen completed the single, the throw came in from mid-on, and some sloppy backing up gave away another run. A furious Gautam Gambhir stopped the ball before some choice words let his team-mates know what he thought of the fielding effort.
Kolkata Knight Riders were falling apart as Daniel Vettori and Raju Bhatkal revived the Royal Challengers after they had fallen to 91 for 6. Brett Lee fired in a yorker to Bhatkal, who dug it out a couple of yards to the left of Lee. The non-striker Vettori had taken a few paces down the track before turning back. Lee shied at the stumps, and missed, allowing an overthrow. As the batsmen completed the single, the throw came in from mid-on, and some sloppy backing up gave away another run. A furious Gautam Gambhir stopped the ball before some choice words let his team-mates know what he thought of the fielding effort.
Siddarth Ravindran is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo