Kagiso Rabada (again) makes it look far too easy on IPL debut
The Proteas quick makes a big impression in his first game for the Delhi Daredevils. Is there anything this young man can't do?
Kagiso Rabada took his first IPL wicket in his second over with a searing yorker. Photo: Punit Parannjpe/AFP.
There seems to be simply no form of cricket that Kagiso Rabada finds too difficult to cope with.
The 21-year-old Proteas quick only made his Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Delhi Daredevils on Saturday – the franchise’s sixth game of the campaign.
He now certainly has observers wondering why it took so long.
Also read: Russell Domingo: I’d still rather want Kagiso Rabada back in SA
Rabada was immediately in the thick of things by taking his first wicket in the IPL in his second over.
He peppered former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel with three yorkers in that over, the last one hitting the base of leg-stump.
It was theatre at its best, with bails flying and Rabada throwing a big celebration with a punch.
But, for once, it was his batting that stole the show.
Coming in with the Delhi teetering on 24/6 in reply to Mumbai’s 142, Rabada hit a stylish 44 off just 39 deliveries.
That knock included four fours and a six.
Rabada also shared a 91-run seventh wicket partnership with fellow Proteas teammate Chris Morris, who ended unbeaten on 52.
In fact, Morris has undoubtedly been one of the best players in this year’s tournament.
The lanky all-rounder has scored 126 runs at an incredible strike rate of 175 and his 12 wickets are the second most in the campaign to date.
National coach Russell Domingo will be really chuffed with those stats going into June’s ICC Champions Trophy.
Afterwards, Rabada was measured about his own performance.
“It was a good outing. Unfortunately, we just did not pull it off,” he told various news outlets.
“The pitch was nice to bat on. Unfortunately, this was not our day. They were getting wickets of decent deliveries, nothing spectacular.”
What Rabada and Morris did show though is that Delhi do have some fighting spirit.
“It’s just that last push. We have been in a few tight situations,” he said.
“We got close again whereas it should have never been. So, we are a fighting team. We play right till the end. We always throw the first punch most of the time. It’s just about closing it up.”
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