Knights get Royal pasting

Swapnil Asnodkar is accustomed to guest players descending on his Ranji Trophy team - minnows Goa - and turning in star-acts in the second-rung Plate Division.

Swapnil Asnodkar is accustomed to guest players descending on his Ranji Trophy team 8211; minnows Goa 8211; and turning in star-acts in the second-rung Plate Division. On Thursday, the 24-year-old diminutive opening batsman from Indian cricket8217;s unheralded outpost did the star-turn himself, not for his holiday state Goa, but representing another tourist hotspot. His 60 at the top of the order helped Rajasthan Royals clinch a 45-run victory against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium. And the Royals legend just got longer and more colourful.

On a day when the departure of Australian and Kiwi players was supposed to rob the IPL of some shimmer, Indian domestic cricket8217;s most unlikely unit threw up an entertaining winner in Asnodkar in a tournament boasting of a galaxy of internationals. Goan teammates variously call him Swapy, Sunny or Sachin, the last two being obvious references to his short heighted big stature. All indications are that the right-hander loves the nicknames and the aspirations tagging alongside.

Playing an audacious 34-ball 60 after he was sent in to befuddle rivals who8217;d have drawn out plans for opener Kamran Akmal, Asnodkar jaunted in, accompanying the burly Graeme Smith. His first boundary came as his gloved shot beat the short Kolkata keeper Wriddhiman Saha, and his second, a straight smack, teased the outstretched fingers of the tall Ishant Sharma. But as his innings progressed, he was reading Ajit Agarkar8217;s variations better, packing off the experienced pro for three consecutive boundaries in the arc between extra cover and backward point. A well-timed pulled six over deep square leg from the pint-sized dynamo set the tone for the Royals8217;s score of 196.

Brisk pace

The runs came at a brisk pace with Yusuf Pathan 55 and Ravindra Jadeja 33 stitching a half-century partnership. And Rajasthan had posted the competitive total without any contribution necessary from foreigners Smith or Shane Watson.

The stage was set for Siddharth Trivedi, who finished with 2-31, to keep the Indian-theme running when Kolkata chased without plan or conviction. Rajasthan were on their way to another victory, this time having set a target, a departure from all their earlier gameplans.

Catches 8212; or their various versions 8212; eventually won Rajasthan the match. A spilled catch Niraj Patel dropping a sitter off Salman Butt, an almost catch Smith claiming to have caught Ganguly running in from deep midwicket, the third umpire debated long and adjudged it no-go, and finally a stunning catch Shane Watson and Taruvar Kohli colliding over a Dinda hit at mid-off, yet Kohli emerging from the tangle clutching the ball to seal the win dotted Kolkata8217;s doomed run-chase even though Ganguly 51 and Hussey 42 attempted a botched resurrection.

Surprise package

Yet, the surprise package was planned for the very start, with Asnodkar earning an outing in the punishing 4 pm sun. A first-class strike-rate of 43.97 was hardly T20-worthy, yet Goa8217;s highest first-class scorer after his 257 against Railways last November ensured he was picked by the Royals. Hailing from Porvorim, an emerging village where a solitary coach, Nitin Vernekar, is attempting to drill in cricket-stumps into a soccer-crazy state, Asnodkar had hit a chanceless double last season, playing every ball on merit just like he did on Thursday here.

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All-rounder Shadab Jakati is the only other Goa player to feature in the IPL, with Chennai Super Kings. But Asnodkar has proved there is plenty of space for domestic-practitioners, staking his own short claim to royalty.