If Hyderabad was the Bull Ring, Eden Gardens was the Colosseum. It was massive, imposing, and tonight, it was painted purple.
The Deccan Chargers had arrived in Kolkata for their second match of the season. The humid air of Bengal hung heavy over the ground, smelling of popcorn, fish fry, and anticipation. 65,000 fans packed the stands, their loyalties split in a fascinating psychological fracture.
They wore the purple of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), chanting for their captain Gautam Gambhir, but every time the giant screen showed Siddanth Deva warming up, a ripple of "Deva! Deva!" cut through the purple noise like a blue knife.
In the VVIP Corporate Box, the King himself, Shah Rukh Khan, stood leaning against the railing. He looked nervous as he heard the chant.
Beside him, Juhi Chawla waved a KKR flag. "He's just a boy, Shah Rukh. Our team is strong. We have Kallis. We have Lee. We are playing at home."
SRK looks at her. "That's not a boy, Juhi. That's a force of nature. I just hope he slept badly last night."
---
Gautam Gambhir and Kumar Sangakkara stood in the middle. The noise was deafening.
Gambhir flipped the coin.
"Heads," Sangakkara called.
Heads it was.
"We are going to bat," Sangakkara said with a calm smile. "The wicket looks good. Put runs on the board and let the pressure of Eden Gardens do the rest."
---
Pre-Match Commentary (Ravi Shastri):
"Welcome to the City of Joy! It's the Battle of the East vs the South. KKR looking to make a statement at home, but they are up against the Chargers who pulled off a miracle escape against Rajasthan. All eyes are on one man—Siddanth Deva. He saved them with the bat last time and he saved them with the ball. Can he do it again in front of 65,000 screaming Bengalis?"
Commentary (Sunil Gavaskar):
"The key battle today, Ravi, is going to be Deva vs Brett Lee. The young apprentice against the master of pace. Also, keep an eye on Yusuf Pathan. If he gets going, no total is safe."
The Chargers started cautiously. Shikhar Dhawan and Sunny Sohal opened the innings. They navigated the swing of Brett Lee and the pace of Lakshmipathy Balaji carefully.
Powerplay Score: 45/0.
Then, the KKR spinners took over. Yusuf Pathan and Iqbal Abdulla strangled the run rate. The Eden track was gripping slightly, making strokeplay difficult.
Over 9: Dhawan tried to sweep Abdulla. Top edge. Caught at short fine leg.
Score: 68/1.
Kumar Sangakkara came in and played an anchor role, stroking the ball into the gaps. He looked elegant, but the boundaries dried up. The humidity sapped the energy of the batters.
By the 15th Over, DC was 115/2. A decent platform, but not a match-winning one on a fast outfield like Eden.
Over 16: Jean-Paul Duminy fell, trying to clear long-on off Jacques Kallis. He didn't get hold of it.
Score: 125/3.
Over 17: Dan Christian came and went quickly, run out by a brilliant piece of fielding from Eoin Morgan who hit the stumps directly from backward point.
Score: 132/4.
The crowd roared. KKR was choking the Chargers. 17.1 overs gone. The projected score was barely 150.
In the dugout, Darren Lehmann patted Deva on the back.
"17 balls left, Sid. We need a finish. Go."
Deva walked out. The stadium noise shifted frequency. It wasn't a boo. It was a murmur of fear mixed with excitement.
---
Deva marked his guard. He was facing Jacques Kallis, the legend whose template he had mastered to 80%.
Ball 17.2: Kallis to Deva
Kallis bowled a wide yorker. Experience.
Deva reached out. He didn't try to hit it hard. He opened the face of the bat, using his wrists to steer it past the backward point fielder.
The ball raced away.
Commentary (Harsha Bhogle): "First ball, four runs! Delicate touch. He found the only gap in the field. That is a surgeon's hands with a butcher's power."
FOUR.
Ball 17.3: Kallis to Deva
Kallis banged it in short.
Deva swiveled. The pull shot.
It went flat. It went hard. One bounce over the mid-wicket rope.
FOUR.
Ball 17.4: Kallis to Deva
Single to deep cover.
1 Run.
Sangakkara rotated the strike for the rest of the over.
Score after 18 overs: 145/4.
Over 19: Brett Lee to Deva
This was the matchup. The speedster vs the sensation.
Brett Lee steamed in, his blonde hair flying. He looked angry. The crowd sensed a battle.
Ball 18.1: 152 kmph. Full and swinging in.
Deva cleared his front leg. He hit it straight back over Lee's head.
It hit the sightscreen with a deafening thud.
Commentary (Shastri): "SMOKED! Don't bowl there to him! He will hurt you! Straight back past the bowler for six! The Devil is dancing at Eden!"
SIX.
Ball 18.2: 149 kmph. Short ball.
Deva expected it. He stepped inside the line and hooked it fine. It flew over the keeper's head.
FOUR.
Ball 18.3: Lee went wide.
Deva slashed. Thick edge. It flew over third man.
FOUR.
Ball 18.4: Lee nailed the yorker on off stump.
Deva jammed it out.
Dot Ball.
Ball 18.5: Lee went full again.
Deva drove it to long-on.
1 Run.
Sangakkara faced the last ball. A full toss. He ramped it over fine leg for FOUR.
Runs in Over 19: 19 runs.
Over 20: Lakshmipathy Balaji to Deva
Deva was on strike. He was on 20 off 7 balls.
Ball 19.1: Slower ball.
Deva waited. He slog-swept it but didn't time it perfectly. It landed in the deep.
1 Run.
Deva finishes on 21 off 8 balls.
Sangakkara was on strike for the remaining 5 balls. He went berserk.
19.2: FOUR through covers.
19.3: SIX over long-on.
19.4: 2 Runs.
19.5: 2 Runs.
19.6: Run out attempting a third.
Runs in Over 20: 15 runs (plus 1 wicket).
Final Score: Deccan Chargers 179/5.
Deva: 21 off 8 balls (S.R. 262.5).
Sangakkara: 68 off 48 balls.
As he walked off, SRK in the VIP box was clapping, but he was shaking his head. SRK muttered to Juhi. "He just took 15 runs off Brett Lee. Who does that?"
Mid-Innings Commentary (Gavaskar):
"That cameo is the difference. The last two overs went for 34 runs! That is a run rate of 17! Deva and Sangakkara destroyed the death bowling. 179 is a mountain on this track."
---
180 to win. KKR had a deep batting lineup. Manvinder Bisla and Jacques Kallis opened.
They started well. The pitch had eased out under lights. Bisla attacked Ishant Sharma, hitting three boundaries in the second over. Kallis played his classic anchor role.
Powerplay Score: 55/0.
Sangakkara looked worried. The Chargers bowlers were leaking runs. The crowd was chanting "KKR! KKR!" The purple flags were waving furiously.
He turned to his Vice-Captain.
"Warm up," Sangakkara said.
Deva took off his cap. He stretched his shoulders.
Over 8: Siddanth Deva to Jacques Kallis
Ball 7.2: Deva ran in. Smooth action.
146 kmph. Good length, nipping back in.
Kallis defended solidly.
Dot.
Ball 7.3: Deva went slightly wider of the crease. He angled it in.
Kallis tried to work it to the leg side.
He closed the face early. The ball took the leading edge.
It popped up gently to cover.
Shikhar Dhawan took an easy catch.
Commentary (Laxman Sivaramakrishnan): "The Golden Arm strikes! Deva gets the big fish! Jacques Kallis, the backbone of KKR, is gone! Deva out-thought him with the angle. 55 for 1!"
WICKET (Kallis 24).
Score: 65/1.
Gautam Gambhir, the KKR captain, walked in. He looked determined. He and Bisla stitched a partnership. They took the score to 110/1 in 13 overs.
KKR needed 70 runs off 42 balls. 9 wickets in hand. They were cruising. Gambhir was looking dangerous, using his feet against the spinners.
---
Sangakkara brought Deva back for his second spell in the 14th over. The game was drifting away.
Over 14: Deva to Gambhir
Gambhir was on 35. He was looking to accelerate.
Ball 13.4: Deva bowled a slower ball.
118 kmph.
Gambhir stepped out to loft it over extra cover. He was deceived by the lack of pace. He was through the shot too early.
The ball hit the toe end of the bat and ballooned to mid-off.
Dale Steyn ran back and pouched it safely.
Commentary (Shastri): "The Captain goes! Deva does it again! The change of pace is lethal! Gambhir is furious with himself, but that is smart bowling. Deva breaks the stand just when KKR were looking to run away with it! 115 for 2!"
WICKET (Gambhir 35).
Now came the danger man. Yusuf Pathan. The man who could finish this game in two overs. The crowd roared his arrival.
Deva knew he couldn't bowl length to Yusuf.
Over 16: Deva to Yusuf Pathan
KKR needed 52 off 30 balls.
Ball 15.1: Deva bowled a bouncer. 150 kmph.
Yusuf hooked. He missed.
Dot.
Ball 15.2: Deva went full and wide.
Yusuf slashed. Missed.
Dot.
Yusuf was getting angry. He wanted to feel bat on ball. He glared at Deva. Deva stared back, spinning the ball.
Ball 15.3: Deva ran in. He saw Yusuf clearing his front leg, ready to heave it to leg side.
Deva fired a yorker. 156 kmph. Swinging in towards the heels.
Yusuf's bat came down hard, but the ball was faster.
It crashed into the base of leg stump.
CRACK.
The stump broke. Literally broke in half. The top half cartwheeled towards the wicketkeeper.
Commentary (Bhogle): "TIMBER! AND BROKEN TIMBER AT THAT! He has shattered the stump! Yusuf Pathan is cleaned up! Pure, unadulterated pace! 156 clicks! The Eden Gardens is stunned! The Danger Man walks back without troubling the scorers! Deva has turned this match on its head!"
WICKET (Yusuf Pathan 4).
The crowd went silent. Their three biggest hopes—Kallis, Gambhir, Pathan—were all back in the dugout. All removed by one man.
---
With Yusuf gone, the KKR lower order panicked. Eoin Morgan tried to reverse sweep Amit Mishra and got LBW. Manoj Tiwary was run out by a direct hit from Deva at point.
The required rate climbed to 12, then 15.
Dale Steyn bowled a fiery 19th over, giving away just 4 runs.
Last Over: 32 runs needed. Ishant Sharma to bowl.
It was a formality. KKR finished on 155/8.
Deccan Chargers won by 24 runs.
---
Post-Match Presentation:
Ravi Shastri: "Well, it feels like déjà vu. Man of the Match, for a game-changing 21 off 8 balls and figures of 3 for 22... Siddanth Deva!"
Deva walked up. The KKR fans, despite the loss, cheered him. They couldn't help it. He was undeniable.
Shastri: "Sid, you seem to like this ground. You silenced them, then you woke them up, then you silenced them again. That yorker to Yusuf... tell us about that."
Deva: "Yusuf bhai is dangerous. If you miss your length by an inch, he hits you for six. I knew I had to bowl the perfect yorker. I just aimed for the base of the stump and let it go. Breaking the stump... that was a bonus."
Shastri: "You are making a habit of this. Batting, bowling, fielding. Is there anything you can't do?"
Deva: "I can't cook Biryani as well as my mom," Deva laughed. "But on the field, I just try to contribute. The team is gelling well. Sanga is leading us beautifully."
Shastri: "Another win. Two in two for the Chargers. You are on a roll."
Deva: "Early days. But we are happy. We move to the next one."
---
As the teams started their victory lap and the crowd began to filter out, Shah Rukh Khan jumped over the advertising hoarding again. This time, he walked straight to Deva with a purposeful stride.
SRK hugged him, but then pulled back, pointing at the shattered stump that Deva was holding as a souvenir.
"You broke my stump," SRK said, feigning anger. "Do you know how much those cost? I am sending the bill to Deccan Chargers."
Deva grinned, wiping sweat from his forehead. "I'll buy you a new one, Shah Rukh bhai."
"Money isn't enough," SRK said, a mischievous glint in his eye. He looked around at the crowd, who had stopped leaving, sensing a moment. "You have to pay for it on the pitch. Will you bowl for me?"
Deva blinked. "Bowl for you? Now?"
"Yes. Right now. Unless you are scared, I will hit you out of the park?" SRK challenged, raising an eyebrow.
Deva laughed. "Why not?"
The word spread like wildfire. The DJ, sensing the mood, stopped the music. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, DO NOT LEAVE YOUR SEATS! WE HAVE A SUPER OVER COMING UP! SRK VS DEVA!"
The crowd roared, rushing back to the railings.
SRK ran to the KKR dugout. He grabbed a pair of pads, a helmet, and a bat. He padded up right there on the grass, looking like a kid in a candy store.
He walked to the crease, marking his guard. "Middle stump, please umpire!" he shouted to Deva.
Deva stood at the top of his run-up. He waved his arms, hyping the crowd.
"MAKE SOME NOISE FOR THE KING!"
The crowd screamed.
Deva ran in. He didn't bowl 150kmph. He bowled gentle, inviting medium pace.
Ball 1: SRK stepped out and played a lofted drive over cover. It wasn't technically perfect, but it had style. The crowd cheered.
Ball 2: Deva bowled short. SRK pulled it. "Shot!" Deva applauded.
Ball 3: SRK tried the helicopter shot. He missed. Deva laughed.
They played six balls. SRK hit a few, missed a few, and bowed to the crowd after every shot.
Then, SRK took off his helmet and pads. He walked down the pitch.
"Okay, big guy," SRK said, handing the bat to Deva. "My turn to bowl. You bat."
Deva took the bat. He didn't put on pads. He just wore his gloves. He stood at the crease, looking like a giant next to the stumps.
SRK rolled up his sleeves. He had a surprisingly decent run-up.
Ball 1: SRK bowled a slow loopy delivery.
Deva stepped forward and defended it solidly back to the bowler.
Dot.
Ball 2: SRK bowled faster.
Deva played a classic forward defense. The bat made a solid thud.
Dot.
SRK stopped. He put his hands on his hips. He looked at the crowd, then at Deva.
"Oye!" SRK shouted, his voice echoing in the stadium. "They didn't buy tickets to see Rahul Dravid's defense! We are not playing a Test match! Hit a six, man! Show me the Devil!"
Deva grinned behind his grill. "You want sixes?"
"I want fireworks!" SRK demanded.
Deva tapped his bat. His stance changed.
Ball 3: SRK tossed it up.
Deva cleared his front leg. He swung with effortless power.
The ball soared over long-on. It landed deep in the stands.
SIX.
Ball 4: SRK tried to bowl wide.
Deva reached out. He sliced it over point. It sailed into the second tier.
SIX.
Ball 5: Deva switched his grip. He turned left-handed.
SRK bowled a full toss.
Deva swept it. The ball flew over the square leg boundary, climbing higher and higher until it landed in the third tier of the concrete stands. A monster hit.
SIX.
Deva stood there, spinning the bat in his hand.
SRK stood in the middle of the pitch. He looked at the ball in the stands. He looked at Deva. He put his hands on his hips and shook his head.
"Give me some respect, man!" SRK shouted, feigning outrage. "I am the owner of the Team! You can't hit me into the third tier!"
Deva walked up to him, laughing. "You only told me to hit sixes, sir!"
"I told you to hit a single six!" SRK retorted, breaking into a smile. "Not three! Not left-handed! You are showing off now!"
He pulled Deva into a hug. "You are a sport, Sid. Thank you."
"Anytime, King," Deva smiled.
SRK raised Deva's hand to the crowd. "Give it up for the Man of the Match!"
As Deva walked off the field, bat over his shoulder, the Eden Gardens wasn't chanting for KKR anymore.