Prithvi Shaw became the second batsman to do so in IPL history😱🙄

Superstar Prithvi Shaw became the first batter to hit six fours in the first over of a T20 innings when he achieved the feat against Kolkata Knight Riders' fast bowler Shivam Mavi on Thursday in Ahmedabad. Shaw also became only the second batter to achieve this record in the IPL, after Ajinkya Rahane did the same off S Aravind against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2012

Here's cricketutkarsh.blogspot.com ball-by-ball description of Shaw's opening over blitz:

0.1: Shivam Mavi to Shaw, FOUR runs. Pumped over Mavi's head. Pitched up and swings in at off, it lands in Shaw's arc. He brings out a high-elbowed punch

0.2: Shivam Mavi to Shaw, FOUR runs. Another inswinger, too full, too straight. Shaw picks it up and whips it with the wrists over midwicket for back-to-back fours

0.3: Shivam Mavi to Shaw, FOUR runs. Overpitched and outside off, Shaw drills a drive through the line. Stroked to the right of sweeper

0.4: Shivam Mavi to Shaw, FOUR runs. Low full-toss outside off, Shaw leans into this slower ball, delays the drive, and steers it away to the right of sweeper once again. Four fours on the trot for Shaw

0.5: Shivam Mavi to Shaw, FOUR runs. Make that five fours in a row for Shaw. He sizes up this short ball outside off and scythes it away through backward point. Mavi looks rattled. Morgan has a chat with the young seamer

0.6: Shivam Mavi to Shaw, FOUR runs. Six successive fours for Shaw. This is not a half-volley. On a length and outside off, hit over the top once again. Driven strongly over extra-cover

I knew where he will bowl to me: Prithvi Shaw

Speaking post-match, Prithvi Shaw said that he knew where the bowler was going to bowl. “Wasn’t thinking anything to be honest. Was just waiting for the loose balls. We’ve played for four-five years now [with Mavi], so I knew where he will bowl to me. I was prepared [for the short ball]. The first four-five balls he bowled were half-vollies so I was prepared for the short ball but unfortunately he didn’t bowl.”

“On this wicket especially when the spinner is bowling, it wasn’t coming very nicely onto the bat. Was stopping a little. Was waiting for them to bowl at me on off stump or outside so I can free my hands. When I’m in there, I keep playing and don’t think about the score. I don’t think about myself, just want the team to win,” he said.

Will such a big player get out of IPL- 2021

New Zealand fast bowler Scott Kuggeleijn has joined Royal Challengers Bangalore as a replacement for Australia quick Kane Richardson.

New Zealand pacer Scott Kuggeleijn has been roped in by Royal Challengers Bangalore as Kane Richardson's replacement, Kuggeleijn was already a part of the IPL bio-bubble as Mumbai Indians' reserve player and he will now make the switch to bolster a squad that was hit by departures recently.

Scott Kuggelejin Career

Scott is a great first-class bowler and a handy bowler in T20s. He has picked up 118 wickets in 120 T20 games he has played in. He has featured in 2 ODIs and 16 T20I for New Zealand. Scott was a part of the IPL season 2019, where he played for the CSK franchise. He played two games for them and picked a couple of wickets. Along with his bowling, in the domestic season of 2021, he showed his skills with the bat as well in the lower order.

India and Delhi Capitals off-spinner 

Ravichandran Ashwin has decided to cut short his IPL to ‘support’ his family and extended family in their ‘fight against Covid’. Ashwin is the biggest name to pull out of the tournament. 

Three Australians have left citing ‘personal reasons’ and an Englishman returned because of bubble fatigue. After the matches in Chennai and Mumbai, the IPL caravan is moving to Delhi and Ahmedabad before rounding off the group league phase in Bangalore and Kolkata. The first match in Delhi is on Wednesday, a city that has been facing an acute oxygen shortage. India recorded over 3.52 lakh new Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours ending 8 am on Monday.

How many players have left yet?

Five as of now. Apart from Ashwin, Rajasthan Royals seamer Andrew Tye and his teammate Liam Livingstone have returned home. On Monday, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) informed through a tweet that leg-spinner Adam Zampa and seaming allrounder Kane Richardson would be returning to Australia. The tweet, however, mentioned “personal reasons”.

Why has Ashwin left?

After the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, the senior off-spinner put out a tweet, saying: “I would be taking a break from this year’s IPL from tomorrow. My family and extended family are putting up a fight against #COVID19 and I want to support them during these tough times. I expect to return to play if things go in the right direction. Thank you @DelhiCapitals”.

A few days previously, Ashwin’s wife Prithi had mentioned that the virus had reached their doorstep. According to a franchise official, a “big chunk” of the off-the-field conversations in the team have been revolving around the situation outside. “There are players and/or support staff in the team whose close relatives have been affected by the virus. It’s not easy,” he said.