Shreyas Iyer falls short of making Brendon McCullum's IPL prediction come true 14 years after historic hundred
India Today
IPL 2022, RR vs KKR: Shreyas Iyer fell 15 runs short of becoming only the 2nd KKR batter after Brendon McCullum in 2008 to hit a hundred in the Indian Premier League. In fact, KKR head coach McCullum made a bold prediction on Monday, saying one of the batter from the team would get a hundred on the 14th anniversary of his historic feat.
It's been 14 years since a Kolkata Knight Riders batter scored a hundred in the IPL. Brendon McCullum, who is currently the coach of the 2-time champion, remains the only man to have crossed the 3-figure mark in KKR colours.
On April 18, 2008, McCullum had given the world a taste of what was to come in the IPL with a stunning knock for KKR against RCB in the first-ever match in the IPL. McCullum smashed 158 from just 73 balls, smashing 13 sixes and 10 boundaries. The small boundaries at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium weren't big enough as McCullum kept sending them over the ropes, firing KKR to 222/3 in 20 overs.
When asked about the hundred droughts for KKR batters on the 14th anniversary of his special knock, McCullum said he had a feeling that one of his boys would break the unwanted streak on Monday when the Knight Riders were chasing a mammoth total of 218 against Rajasthan Royals.
McCullum, speaking to the broadcasters during RR's innings on Monday, said:" Funny to say that Bish, I actually told David Hussey on the way to the ground tonight. 'Huss, I think one of our boys is going to get a hundred tonight. I just got a feeling here, that something special is going to happen to one of our lads'."
Jos Buttler's 2nd IPL 2022 hundred gave the Royals a mammoth total of 217 which they managed to successfully defend.
However, KKR did not go down without a fight. Shreyas Iyer came close to joining Brendon McCullum as he smashed 85 off just 51 balls. The new KKR skipper stitched a 107-run stand with Aaron Finch even as the Australia opener set the tone for their chase after they lost Sunil Narine for 0 due to a run-out.
Iyer carried on after Finch's exit for 58 (28 balls) in the 9th over and brought the equation down to 40 in 4 overs. Just when it looked like Iyer would lead KKR to a victory, Yuzvendra Chahal picked up 4 wickets, including a hat-trick in the 17th over, to dent KKR's hopes.
