The expectation to witness the unexpected will be high when Gujarat Titans face the Kolkata Knight Riders for a rematch in IPL 2023 on Saturday. The last time both teams clashed, KKR pulled off a heist at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad where Rinku Singh smashed Yash Dayal for five sixes in a row in the final over of the game when KKR needed 29 off the last over. That last over had a spiralling effect on both sides, albeit of different nature and will be on the back of the minds of players from both sides.
Wriddhiman Saha, who too will have mixed feelings about returning to Eden Gardens as a part of the rival team, said five sixes in the last over of the match happens once in 1000 matches.
"Such things happen once in 1000 or one lakh matches. It was Rinku's day, not Yash's." Saha told reporters on Friday adding that loss will have no bearing on this match.
But since that match, the GT pacer Dayal is down with an illness and has not played. GT captain Hardik Pandya, in fact, revealed that the left-arm seamer has lost 7-8 kilos after that match and is not in a condition to play. "He fell ill and lost 7-8 kilos after that match (KKR). There was a spread of viral infection during that period and also due to the pressure he had faced, his condition is presently not good enough to take the field," Hardik said.
Saha, however, disagreed with the assertion and said Dayal's illness had nothing to do with Rinku Singh's five sixes.
{{/usCountry}}Saha, however, disagreed with the assertion and said Dayal's illness had nothing to do with Rinku Singh's five sixes.
{{/usCountry}}"His illness has nothing to getting hit for five sixes. It's not game related. He has been suffering from heat fever. He has been unwell. Mentally he is okay. You have to face such situations. He didn't get his yorkers right that night. We all have boosted him up. He's better now. There is no connection with this match," Saha said.
"Kolkata is my home, I've played many matches here. Now, I'm playing for an away team. Motera is my home (in IPL). Conditions are different."
There may have been a rise in wicketkeeper-batters with a slam-bang approach with the advent of T20 cricket but Saha still follows the old philosophy.
"I've always been a wicketkeeper first, then a batter. I still have the same belief in me. I don't know about other keepers. In my point of view, someone who does well as a wicketkeeper and then contributes to the team as a batter is better," Saha said.
Despite giving the team a brisk start, a big score is still eluding Saha.
"I always tried to give agood start. I'm happy if I get the team momentum. A hundred does not matter if your team goes on to lose. I'm happy with scoring a 25 or 50 if the team wins."