IPL 8 KXIP vs RR: Shaun Marsh's heroics proved that he needs to play more games

As Kings XI Punjab headed into their fifth match of IPL 8, they were desperate for a win having lost three out of their four matches. But the task was uphill, they were up against a side which was rampant - Rajasthan Royals were on a five-match winning streak. It got even worse when RR posted a healthy 191 after being put into bat. Only one team had managed to post a score a total of above 170 against them - Delhi Daredevils - but they still lost. A daunting total to chase against a decent bowling attack on a ground where RR had won 7 out of 10 matches. The much vaunted KXIP batting had flopped so far in the tournament. All these factors made it look that RR were clear favourites at innings break and to make matters worse, KXIP lost Virender Sehwag in just the second over. [caption id=“attachment_2206218” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Shaun Marsh in action. BCCI[/caption] It took their most experienced and consistent batsman to pull off a couple of crucial innings to see them home and end RR’s winning streak. The same batsman who was benched for the first four matches. The same batsman who made it to the starting eleven because of an injury to captain George Bailey. The same batsman who played just two matches last season. The same batsman who was the highest run-getter in the inaugural edition of the IPL. The same batsman who was KXIP’s highest run-getter in 2011. Shaun Marsh strode out to the middle at 3-1 and started off positively. He saw Murali Vijay and Glenn Maxwell depart in quick succession but never really got into the shell. Even with KXIP reeling at 58-3 in the 9th over, he got the momentum going. His scoring rate never dropped below run-a-ball. He hit an array of pulls, cuts and lofts in an exhibition of pleasing strokeplay. New man David Miller took some time to get off the blocks but that didn’t deter Marsh as he reached his fifty off 32 balls with a six over long on off Rahul Tewatia. He added 58 crucial runs with Miller from 5.5 overs before falling on 65 off 40 balls. Miller and Akshar Patel, who hit a last ball four, made sure KXIP took the match to the Super Over. Marsh’s job wasn’t done yet. KXIP had got off to a bad start again in the Super Over as they lost Miller off the first ball. But Marsh three consecutive fours off Morris to help the visitors post 15 runs. Mitchell Johnson then defended the score as KXIP triumphed in a thriller. Marsh is the highest run-getter for KXIP in the history of IPL with 2038 runs from 53 matches at 44.30 and a healthy SR of 134.07 with 17 50s and a 100. Against RR, he became the second fastest to 2000 IPL runs, in 52 innings, behind Chris Gayle (48 innings). In his entire IPL career so far, he has not averaged below 30 in any season. It’s hard to fathom that such a consistent player was left on the bench for the first four matches and played just two games last season. Yes, there is competition to fill in four foreign places with Miller, Maxwell, Johnson and Bailey in contention but rather than choosing a hit or miss batsmen, KXIP would rather go in for consistency. In his last 16 innings for KXIP, Maxwell has just three 20 plus scores and is proving to be more of a miss than a hit this season. If Bailey gets fit, KXIP have to bench Maxwell as he is the only foreign player not performing so far. Over the years, teams have played their most consistent players regularly in the IPL. Take the example of Suresh Raina, who has played every game for CSK till date. Then there are likes of Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir, Shane Watson and Chris Gayle who have helped their teams win matches regularly. In the post match presentation, Marsh said, “Nice to get an opportunity, unfortunate Bailey got injured. I was hitting the ball well, picked out certain areas of the ground, and it worked out tonight. I’ve never really batted in a Super Over before, was a little different, it was nice to put a decent total on the board, and Mitchell Johnson defended it brilliantly.” “Nice to get an opportunity”, Marsh might sound pretty down to earth but the fact is, his consistency demands his place in the starting eleven. Harsha Bhogle summed it up nicely in this tweet.

Shaun Marsh should always be in a King's XI shirt!

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) April 21, 2015