Ashok Namboodiri, Chinnaswamy
The IPL ‘19 opener at Chinnaswamy unfolded like a five-gear narrative, starting cautiously before accelerating into a high-octane finish led by Virat Kohli and RCB’s batting firepower. Key moments from Jacob Duffy’s early burst to Phil Salt’s stunning catch, and explosive knocks from Ishan Kishan, Aniket Verma, and Devdutt Padikkal shifted momentum progressively through the match. Beyond cricket, the game carried emotional weight with a subdued crowd finding its voice as the night built towards familiar IPL frenzy.
The inaugural match of the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru did not get off to an explosive start from the very first ball. Instead, it felt like a sedate start that moved gears at steady intervals. When Virat Kohli hit the winning runs, the stadium erupted in joy and things were back to the normal frenzy. You knew that another IPL season had taken off in the Indian summer.
In the aftermath of the stampede that claimed eleven tragic lives in the celebrations last year, the crowd did seem a little subdued, even though it was a sea of red and gold. Even the MC seemed to struggle to get the crowd to respond to his valiant antics. Ultimately, he had to resort to the legendary IPL bugle theme and some punch lines in Kannada to get the crowd on its feet. Jacob Duffy’s dream debut with three quick wickets for 22 runs, bowling short off a length and getting the ball to bounce contributed to the sedate start as the match moved to first gear.
Ishan Kishan continued form where he left off in the T20 world cup scoring 80 off 38 balls but the crowd went delirious with that one-handed falling catch from Phil Salt on the boundary. That one superlative fielding effort is what moved the match into second gear last night. Fans were suddenly jolted out of their reverie to realise that they were witnessing world-class cricket in their backyard. The MC seized the opportunity smartly and joked about how Royal Challengers Bengaluru was adding ‘salt’ to the Hyderabadi biriyani!
Second gear was engaged when young Aniket decided to take things into his hands and hit that scorching 43 off 18 deliveries. The sixes were effortless, and we remembered that this was the T20 format we have now come to expect. And when the Sunrisers scaled 200 runs in their quota of twenty overs, Kavya Maran was jumping for joy, and we knew it was going to be a contest worthy of the Chinnaswamy vibe.
Devdutt Padikkal came in as an impact substitute, but it seemed like he had been practicing his sixes in the nets. He walked in and took off with some stunning sixes to all parts of the ground, scoring 61 off 26 balls. That innings moved things to third gear and was a statement that would make the India selectors sit up and take notice for sure. RCB got on to the Autobahn quickly and stayed there scoring at about 13 runs an over. Kohli played the classic chase master, marrying some stunning boundaries and sixes with his singles and twos, owning this ground like it was his forever. And that is when Captain Rajat Patidar came in and moved the contest to fourth gear with some power hitting that deflated the Sunrisers.
Fifth and final gear happened when Kohli went past his fifty and then played like a man possessed. He looked in great nick and has clearly been working hard at his game. RCB played like the title champions and in this form will be the team to beat this edition of the IPL. The Karnataka State Association has worked really hard to bring cricket back to this iconic venue and the crowd management and logistics protocols seemed quite robust.
The memory of the catastrophe last year will never fade with the eleven seats left vacant and the opening encounter needed that reset. The resounding silence at the Chinnasamy during the one-minute silence that was observed resonated as much as the celebrations in top gear as the 19th edition of the IPL was flagged off last night.
