RCB Sign Wayne Parnell For IPL 2023 as Injured Reece Topley’s Replacement
Kolkata: Amid much speculation, the Royal Challengers Bangalore have signed South African pacer Wayne Parnel as injured Reece Topley’s replacement for IPL 2023. As per a report in ClubCricketSA, Parnell is likely to join the team soon and would be available for selection. Topley was on Thursday ruled out of the Indian Premier League due to a dislocated shoulder. Topley had suffered the injury in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s opening home game at the Chinnaswamy Stadium against Mumbai Indians.
Meanwhile, Bangalore was hammered by Kolkata at the Eden Gardens on Thursday by 81 runs. In their first home game of IPL 2023 at a packed Eden Gardens, KKR was in tatters at 89/5 in 11.3 overs. Royal Challengers Bangalore had David Willey and Karn Sharma picking up two wickets in as many balls, with many fearing an embarrassing defeat for KKR.
But Shardul Thakur, nearly got out on his first ball, also the hat-trick ball, as the inside edge went past leg-stump, slammed the joint-fastest fifty of the season in 20 balls through his sensational 68 off 28 deliveries.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz dazzled in the start with a stroke-filled 57 while Rinku Singh chipped in with a vital 46, apart from sharing an important 103-run partnership off just 47 balls with Thakur to propel KKR to a mammoth 204/7.
In reply, Kolkata’s three mystery spinners — Varun Chakaravarthy (4/15), Sunil Narine (2/16) and debutant Suyash Sharma (3/30) took nine wickets between themselves to bamboozle the RCB batters and bowl them out for 123 in 17.4 overs.
Brief Scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 204/7 in 20 overs (Shardul Thakur 68, Rahmanullah Gurbaz 57; David Willey 2/16, Karn Sharma 2/26) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 123 all out in 17.4 overs (Faf du Plessis 23, Virat Kohli 21; Varun Chakaravarthy 4/15, Suyash Sharma 3/30) by 81 runs
(With IANS inputs)