Visualisation becomes real for Canadian Andreescu
KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS
Uthappa
Chris Lynn, Robin
Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh
Karthik, Nikhil Naik
Dinesh
Andre Russell, Joe Denly, Shrikant Mundhe, Carlos Brathwaite
Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav, KC Cariappa.
Sunil Narine
Sandeep Warrier, Prasidh Krishna, Prithvi Raj, Harry Gurney, Anrich Nortje, Lockie Ferguson KKR have retained 13 players from their 2018 campaign, including the big-hitting overseas trio of Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn. Kuldeep Yadav, Dinesh Karthik and rising star Shubman Gill were among their key Indian retentions. At the auction, Carlos Brathwaite was their most expensive signing at ~5 crore — Lockie Ferguson, Joe Denly and Harry Gurney were their other high-profile overseas picks. They replaced Tom Curran, Mitchell Starc and the retired Mitchell Johnson who were all released by the franchise in the off-season. INDIAN WELLS: Bianca Andreescu had thought herself a champion many times. Now it’s true.
The 18-year-old Canadian, who practises visualisation every morning, upset three-time Major champion Angelique Kerber 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in 2 hours and 18 minutes to win the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday.
She became the first wild-card winner and second-youngest, since 17-year-old Serena Williams in 1999, to claim the title in the tournament’s history. She is also the youngest finalist since Kim Clijsters, one of Andreescu’s childhood idols, reached the final in 2001 at age 17. “The fricking SUNIL NARINE: Having reinvented himself as a pinch-hitting all-rounder, Narine is indispensable with both bat and ball. No player to face 100 balls or more in last year’s IPL scored at a quicker rate than Narine’s 189.89. He was excellent with the ball too – in the middle overs, his economy rate was just 6.60, the third best among spinners who had bowled 150+ balls at that stage. champion of Indian Wells,” Andreescu said. “It’s crazy.”
Not so crazy if you observed all the shots and grit that she had to summon under pressure to defeat top players and win one of the most prestigious titles in tennis.
She overcame nerves, fatigue, arm and leg issues in the final set to earn the first title of her career. Andreescu won on her fourth match point when Kerber netted a backhand. She broke Kerber three times in the third set, rallying from a 3-2 deficit to take four of the final five games.
THE CELEBRATION
Andreescu dropped her racket near the baseline and fell on her back, her legs in the air as she covered her face in disbelief. After The Chinaman’s reputation has only grown since last year and it is possible he would be the leading spinner in the squad that also has Sunil Narine and Piyush Chawla.
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getting up and exchanging kisses with Kerber, the teen bent down and kissed the sunbaked hard court and dropped to her back again before grabbing her head.
“This moment has become a reality so it’s really, really crazy,” Andreescu told the crowd. Born in Canada, she later moved with her parents to Romania, where she first started playing tennis.
Kerber was the last of five seeded players that Andreescu knocked off in her seven matches. Leading 2-1 in the third, Andreescu took a medical timeout and had a trainer massage her tight right shoulder and arm. Kerber won the next two games, breaking Andreescu to go up 3-2. Appearing tired and nervous, Andreescu called for her coach, who urged her to make Kerber play every point. She did just that.
Andreescu won the next three games, winning nine straight points during one stretch, including a 40-love service game.
OSAKA’S FOOTSTEPS?
The Canadian followed in the footsteps of Naomi Osaka, who was 20-year-old when she won the title last year. Osaka used it as a springboard to win titles at the US and Australian Opens.“no pressure,” Andreescu joked when asked about Osaka and then added: “Yeah, it’s definitely an inspiration seeing her claim the trophy last year, and winning two Grand Slams. But I don’t really want to focus on the future right now.” Transition from Gautam Gambhir was smooth and Karthik led KKR to the last four. A proven T20 performer who had his second-most productive season with the bat in 2018, KKR will hope he stays busy with the bat at the back-end.
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In just over a year, this batsman, rated highly by Yuvraj Singh among others, has gone on from being an under-19 World Cup winner to playing in IPL and for India. The KKR top-order will need him to fire.
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He and explosive starts seem to be made for each other and the Knights will be banking on some Lynn-sanity when they go out to bat. He, however, had a less than impressive Big Bash this season. What Lynn does at the top, Russell manages to do at the end. And the West Indian all-rounder is handy with the ball too.
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A tearaway quick of the kind the Knights lacked last season, this New Zealander could be a handful on an Eden Gardens wicket that should support pacers under lights.
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