Another emphatic win !!

Now here's another match Im sure to remember for yrs...And somethin i want others to remember too. Cos here is the one wich announced the arrival of Shoaib, after all the controversies andspeculation. Here he had come....to stay.

Electing to bat first the knight riders set out to create a steady 48 (44b, 7x4) from opener Salman Butt and his 40-run association for the third wicket with David Hussey, thereby reached 133 for six in 20 overs.The openers — Butt and Aakash Chopra — began cautiously against Glenn McGrath and Pradeep Sangwan to take the score to 35 before Chopra went for 13. In walked skipper Sourav Ganguly and he greeted young Yomahesh with a six off a free hit before becoming his first victim for seven. A wild swing without getting into the line meant Ganguly’s wicket got rattled. t two down for 47, the team needed a fruitful partnership when Butt and Hussey put on 40 runs in 6.2 overs. Under pressure to get runs, the lower-order failed, except Shukla who hit 10 off eight balls. Hussey was the second highest scorer with 31 off 31 balls with two sixes.

With such a modest total to defend it was the turn of the bowlers to do their job and deliver they did as always. The major portion was provided b the Rawalpindi Express who made it a memorable IPL debut. He had to miss two matches on fitness grounds and was doubtful even for this tie but began in spectacular fashion, sending back Delhi Daredevil skipper Virender Sehwag in the second ball of the opening over. Shoaib Akhtar went on to produce a magical three-over opening spell to demolish the Delhi Daredevils top-order.He removed Gautam Gambhir in his next over and dismissed A.B. de Villiers and Manoj Tiwary off successive balls in his third over to be on a hat-trick. Tillekeratne Dilshan, however, denied Akhtar a hat-trick.

Daredevils fought back through some dogged batting by Dilshan and Amit Mishra. The two added 24 for the sixth wicket to put Daredevils back on track. Just when it looked like Daredevils was in with a chance came the dramatic run out of Dilshan (25, 19b, 5x4). Laxmi Ratan Shukla’s throw sent the Sri Lankan back. Farveez Maharoof, who walked in next, and Mishra played sensibly to keep the scoreboard ticking and put pressure on Knight Riders. It was another superb throw, this time by bowler Ashok Dinda, that brought to an end to Maharoof’s innings. Shukla polished off the tail with a haul of three of six in five balls. He was also on a hat-trick but Yomahesh denied him the feat.

So here was a fantastic reply by the Kolkatta Knight Riders in response to their earlier defeat from the Delhi Daredevils at their home ground.