Shoaib's carnage conquers Kolkata

The Rawalpindi Express signalled his arrival in the DLF Indian Premier League with a four-wicket blitz that left Delhi gasping. More than this win, Shoaib's arrival has given a lot of hope to Kolkata as they look ahead to a semi-final berth.

It was an emotional moment for Shoaib Akhtar, one he had been waiting for a long time. After waiting in the sidelines for more than four months, Shoaib Akhtar was out to prove a point, and he couldn't have done it in a more spectacular style as he brought Delhi down with an inspired spell.

"I just wanted to win the game. I have no points to make to anybody," Shoaib said after his sensational debut in the IPL.

Kolkata captain Sourav Ganguly also heaped rich praise on the tearaway fast bowler. "He came to the country with lots (of things) happening behind him. But he showed a lot of character."

Akhtar is no stranger to Kolkata or to the Eden Gardens. He came into the limelight here with a sensation burst when he removed Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar with consecutive balls in a Test in 1999. This time he played as one of their own and the Kolkata crowd embraced him with open arms.

"For me, my team is the most important thing. Kolkata is my home team. Eden Gardens is my home ground," he gushed.

The win takes Kolkata to fourth place on the leader board with 10 points from five wins in nine matches. But more importantly, Shoaib's performance has meant that Shah Rukh Khan's team suddenly has a weapon to instill fear in the opposition camps over the next few weeks.