Usman Khawaja has had a very eventful beginning to his IPL career. He finally arrived in India to bolster the Rising Pune Supergiants this week, only to discover on Thursday that his jersey had his name misspelt as Khwaja. Included in the playing XI against Delhi Daredevils, the Australian also had a very eventful stay at the crease in his first ever match in the tournament.
Chasing 163 for victory, Khawaja and Ajinkya Rahane opened the innings for RPS. The Australian opener, who has been one of the best T20 batsmen in the world over the past six months, started typically enough, but showed proof of suffering from nerves from the 3rd over onwards.
He was lucky to survive five times within the next six overs, as the pair rode their luck to race to a bright start.
Lucky Break #1 – Khawaja threw a flat bat at a Jayant Yadav delivery, and the ball ballooned towards long-on, from where Carlos Brathwaite was running in. The shot was so mistimed, however, that the ball died on the racing Brathwaite. The West Indian threw himself forward and managed to get both hands to the ball, but failed to cling on.
Lucky Break #2 – Runs were proving to be hard to come by and Rahane and Khawaja seemed to have taken a decision to squeeze in quick singles whenever possible. In the very first ball of the fourth over, a Mohammed Shami delivery struck the top half of Khawaja’s bat and rolled towards mid-off. The batsmen decided to run, realising midway through the run that it had been an overhasty call.
Khawaja had given up, but a direct hit was lacking.
Lucky Break #3 – The first ball of Shami’s next over, the sixth over, also had some comedy in terms of running between wickets. Khawaja managed to connect with the delivery with the bottom edge of his bat, and then his body. The ball was on the pitch, but Rahane was already rushing for the single. Khawaja responded, but he had no chance of making it in time.
To make matters worse, Khawaja collided with the bowler, who was going for the ball. What happened next was unbelievable – with three stumps to aim at and Khawaja way out of his crease, Shami missed.
Lucky Break #4 – After his struggle with running, Khawaja was faced with the devilry of Amit Mishra in the 7th over. The last ball of the over was a quicker one, angling towards leg side. It struck Khawaja’s thigh pad and rolled off towards the keeper. The batsman, having no idea of where the ball had gone, wandered out of his crease. Unfortunately for the bowling side, Sanju Samson was not enough aware to the situation and did not collect.
Finally, off Mishra’s next over, Khawaja’s charmed IPL debut came to an end. After having tried unsuccessfully to heave a googly into the stands, Khawaja looked back to see he had been stumped.
30 off 27 balls is a knock that pales in comparison with his other knocks of the year, but it could have been far worse.
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