Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir surely raised quite a few eyebrows with the way he set the field for his counterpart MS Dhoni in the IPL 2016 encounter between KKR and Rising Pune Supergiants last night at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
When MS Dhoni arrived at the crease with his team at 74 for 4, Gambhir greeted him with two slips and one silly point. A silly point which in itself is quite a strange position in the slam-bang version of the game.
However, talking about this move, KKR coach Jacques Kallis who was doing an interview on the sidelines at the time said that it was a ploy to dismiss Dhoni early and apply more pressure on the Pune side. The field surely became the talk of the town as everyone termed it aggression.
Asking everyone not to read too much into this, one close associate of Gambhir also said, "It wasn't a show of arrogance. The Pune team was on the mat after losing four quick wickets and getting Dhoni out was the utmost priority of the team and therefore, the close-in fielders were deputed. There is nothing to read into this, “ reported Times of India.
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Kolkata won the rain-curtailed game last night against Rising Pune Supergiants by 8 wickets through Duckworth-Lewis method. Batting first RPS were on 103 for 6 in 17.4 overs when rain stopped the play.
When the rain stopped and play resumed, KKR were asked to chase 66 in 9 overs and it was Yusuf Pathan who bludgeoned the Pune spinners to chase the target down in just 5 overs. Pathan remained unbeaten on 37 off just 18 balls to pile more misery on the Pune side who have had a forgettable season so far.
Also read: Gautam Gambhir opens up about feud with Kamran Akmal
Gambhir, who reportedly doesn't share a good rapport with MS Dhoni, surely added fuel to the stories of vengeance with his field placing for MS Dhoni. He set a similar kind of field when MS Dhoni walked out to bat in their previous encounter this season. Gautam Gambhir put himself in the silly point and brought in a slip and a short leg for his counterpart.
The beleaguered Pune side team currently languishes at the bottom of the table and they have only themselves to blame for their predicament. Also, injuries to key players have worsened their plight as their performances kept degrading game after game in the ongoing IPL 2016.
Gambhir's field placement for Dhoni in the last two years:
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