You can never be Sure

KXIP vs RCB:  6/5/2013

A match scripted and acted to prove once again that it was all free for the fixers and the actors. They could combine to do whatever they liked, without any constraints. The purpose of such scripts is to instill a fear in the punters such that they can never be sure about outcome of a match, and consequently to make them err. At the same time, the masses are thrilled and attracted more and more to this fraud through such scripts.

KXIP chose to field first and allowed the opponents to amass 190 runs, duly taking necessary care of the sessions manipulation. Chasing they got reduced to 64/4 in 9.5 overs and 97/4 in 13.2 overs, the required run rate being around 14 with the last recognized pair on the crease, one of them, Sathish, having not shown any promise with the bat so far in the tournament. From thereon, the boundaries and over boundaries started flowing as if it were child's play and KXIP won with two full overs to spare and without losing any further wicket. That would mean that the punters who must have taken the RCB win for sure at that stage didn't find any escape thereafter as the flurry of boundaries changed the game and the odds very fast. No one in one's wildest dreams could have imagined the script to unfold as it did.

The script had a connection with the script of last match RCB played against PWI also. In that match, chasing 187, from a hopeless position at 85/4 at the end of 12 overs, PWI came to a strong winning position at 143/4 at the end of 16 overs (interestingly the odds still were in f/o RCB (the team which went on to win ultimately) at that stage) before losing (by throwing wickets). So, in this match when Miller was on the rampage, the punters had to bet fearing fall of wickets any time as had happened for Pune. But nothing like that happening and KXIP winning with 2 overs to spare must have made punters lose heavily for the benefit of the fixers.

There was a good opportunity for Henriques to run out Sathish before the outstanding fielder, Virat Kohli, dropped not too difficult a catch of Miller. See the recordings and see in slow motion how Henriques doesn't throw ball on to the stumps and delays removing the bails for that split second to enable Sathish reach the crease.