On Wednesday in Vizag, it didn’t look like Angkrish Raghuvanshi was making his IPL debut, he rather looked like a veteran. The 18-year-old had a batting masterclass as he destroyed Delhi Capitals’ bowlers with ease. His shot selection was simply sizzling and his boundaries were stunning.
The youngster smacked 54 runs off 27 balls, packed with five fours and three sixes, as KKR posted 272/7 in 20 overs, which also became the second-highest total in IPL history. Raghuvanshi also had Sunil Narine to guide him through the innings. Narine hammered 85 off 39 deliveries, clattering seven fours and seven sixes in the process. It also turned out to be Narine’s highest-ever T20 score.
Chasing 273, DC were bowled out for 166 in 17.2 overs, despite half-centuries from Rishabh Pant (55) and Tristan Stubbs (54). Vaibhav Arora and Varun Chakaravarthy were in good form for KKR, taking three wickets each.
After the match, Raghuvanshi was congratulated by Shah Rukh Khan, and the Bollywood superstar also hugged him. Speaking about the meeting, Raghuvanshi said, “Obviously, it is very special. I don’t know if he knows my name or if he does. But I have seen him on television since my childhood. So meeting him like this feels very nice.”
He also opened up on his celebration, where he pointed his finger to his head, similar to Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford. “I did that celebration for Nitish bhaiya. He is injured and both of us are Manchester United fans. I did that for him,” he added.
After the win, KKR climbed to pole position in the IPL 2024 points table, with six points in three matches, remaining unbeaten. Meanwhile, DC are ninth in the ten-team standings with two points in four games. KKR will be looking to maintain their momentum, but will also need captain Shreyas Iyer to step up. The India star hasn’t found his footing in the tournament until now, and will be eyeing to bounce back to form.
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