'Hey guys take it easy, it’s just a game': KKR's Vinay Kumar puts up brave face after horrific start to IPL 2018

To say Vinay Kumar isn't having the best start to the new IPL season would be an understatement. So far, he has bowled 3.9 overs and conceded 65 runs, with them coming in the beginning and end of each innings. He was smashed for 19 runs in the last over by CSK when they needed 17 runs. 

The match was in the balance in the last over before Vinay Kumar's first ball (a no-ball full toss) was smashed into the stands by Dwayne Bravo. This was followed by three runs in the next two deliveries before he sent down another wide. Two balls later, four runs were required of the final two balls and Ravindra Jadeja deposited the fifth ball into the stands to give CSK a big win. 

Vinay Kumar has bowled four overs in the IPL so far and gone for 14,16, 16 and 19 runs respectively. 

While there were a lot of jokes and brickbats on Twitter, Vinay Kumar decided to answer his detractors with the oldest trick in the book – whereaboutery. Asking fans to ‘chill’, he asked where they were, when he ‘defended 9 runs against RCB and 10 runs against Mumbai Indians’.

He wrote on Twitter: “Hey guys take it easy, it’s just a game. Where were you all when I defended 9 runs against RCB and 10 runs against Mumbai Indians!! Sometimes things do go wrong so CHILL....”

Hey guys take it easy, it’s just a game. Where were you all when I defended 9 runs against RCB and 10 runs against Mumbai Indians!! Sometimes things do go wrong so CHILL....

— Vinay Kumar R (@Vinay_Kumar_R) April 11, 2018

Chasing a stiff target of 203, CSK won the match with a ball to spare as Ravindra Jadeja deposited military medium stuff from R Vinay Kumar into stands. The India discard bowled a forgettable final over where CSK needed 17 runs to win.

This was after Englishman Billings set it up nicely with a magnificent 56 off 23 balls that five huge sixes apart from a couple of boundaries.

The pressure put by Mahendra Singh Dhoni's slow batting (25 off 28 balls) was neutralised by Billings.

Chasing a target of 203 needed a blazing start and veteran Shane Watson was up for a challenge, hitting 42 off 19 balls with three fours and equal number of sixes in a 75-run opening stand with Ambati Rayudu (39 off 26 balls). Tom Curran making his IPL debut got rid of Watson with a short ball and Rayudu was accounted by Kuldeep Yadav as he tried an inside out shot.

Suresh Raina (14) sustained a calf muscle injury which hampered his running between the wickets with Sunil Narine sending him back. Dhoni and Billings got the chase back on track with a 54-run stand.

Earlier, Andre Russell hit an incredible 11 sixes in his 36-ball-88 as Kolkata Knight Riders scored a competitive 202 for six after being put into bat.

In one of the finest counter-attacking innings in recent editions of IPL, Russell came in at 89 for 5 and then took the bowling apart with as many as seven sixes being hit off West Indies teammate Dwayne Bravo, including three in an over.

Russell was involved in a 76-run sixth wicket partnership with skipper Dinesh Karthik (26) as KKR went onto post a good total. In fact, the last five overs yielded 79 runs that got KKR back into the match.

CSK captain MS Dhoni's strategy to use his slow bowlers in the initial stages on a surface aiding spin worked well but Russell had other ideas as he attacked the pacers including Shardul Thakur (1/37 in 4 overs) and Bravo (0/50 in 3 overs).

Bravo, who was frugal against Mumbai Indians in the first game, was taken for 50 runs in three overs with Russell hammering him all over the park, sending two balls out of the stadium.

With inputs from PTI