Sandeep Lamichhane was handed his IPL debut as Delhi Daredevils took on the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The Nepal leg-spinner became the first from his nation to participate in the premier T20 tournament.
The 17-year-old spinner ultimately ended up on the losing side as the Royal Challengers notched up a five-wicket win.
Here, we take a closer look at Sandeep’s performance with the ball.
STATISTICS
OVERS BOWLED: 4
WICKETS: 1
RUNS CONCEDED: 25
ECONOMY-RATE: 6.25
30-SECOND-REPORT
Sandeep was thrown into the deep-end immediately as he was asked to open the bowling for Delhi in the powerplay. Completely unfazed by the occasion, the leg-spinner bowled a brilliant first-over that showed what he is all about before capturing his maiden IPL wicket in the form of Parthiv Patel. He remained highly economical on a pitch where the other bowlers copped some punishment.
GOT RIGHT
Plenty. Despite being given the new ball, Sandeep was not shy to give it plenty of flight. He bowled three excellent googlies in the very first over to create plenty of doubts in the batsman’s mind. Even the likes of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers found it tough to pick his ‘other one’ early on. After being smashed for a boundary over his head by Parthiv, the Nepal teenager responded immediately by dismissing the batsman off the next delivery.
First Nepali to play in the #VIVOIPL - ✔
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) May 12, 2018
Picking up a wicket on debut - ✔
Sandeep Lamichhane's strutting his daredevilry for all to see! How many more can he bag tonight? #DDvRCB #BESTvsBEST pic.twitter.com/jxRlJdsWVP
GOT WRONG
The youngster hardly put a foot wrong despite his fellow bowlers taking a thrashing from the batsmen. He bowled against the world’s very best batsmen in Kohli and ABD but looked completely at home. His figures would have looked a whole lot better were it not for the six that De Villiers hit off the penultimate ball of his spell.
High and Spirited, hunger in the eyes, spirited for performance. Proves his talent and merit on the biggest platform for cricket in the world #SandeepLamichhane Take A Bow. We are quixotic #DilDilli #DDvRCB #IPL
— Weraz (@imWeraz) May 12, 2018
VERDICT – 9/10
Though he might have ended up with just the one wicket, Sandeep’s introduction to the IPL could not have gone any better. To hit the right lengths in your very first match of the competition as a 17-year-old is no ordinary task. For the young leg-spinner to face the world’s best batsmen in his very first outing and still come out of it holding his head high speaks volumes about Sandeep’s prodigious talent. His showing will leave the Daredevils coaching staff wondering if they have missed a trick by not playing him from the start of the tournament.
