Morne Morkel’s first delivery of the 2015 edition of the Pepsi IPL was hit for a boundary by the Mumbai Indians’ opener Aaron Finch. The ball drifted down the leg side and was easily worked off the pads by Finch. A ball later, the MI opener was put in a spot of bother by the same bowler who hurried him for pace, made him play a half-hearted pull and ultimately hole out to Umesh Yadav in the deep. Morkel claimed his first victim of this year’s IPL and things got a notch better in the three overs that followed. He ended up with figures of 2 for 18 in his four overs, giving KKR an early advantage in the game. He was adjudged the Man-of-the-match for his stellar bowling performance after the batsmen finished the job for the team later in the evening. Quite obviously, Morkel was a happy man who cherished the moment playing in front of a packed Eden Gardens. “It is a special feeling to be playing here at the Eden Gardens. There is just something about this ground. It is just amazing. I thought it was great entertainment for the spectators who came out to support us,” beamed Morkel while talking to IPLT20.com. “It feels great after arriving here two days ago and getting to training. Coming out tonight, there were a few butterflies in my stomach and a bit of nerves and tension. As an individual there will always be butterflies. (Having) Some butterflies are a good sign. It is a sign that you care and if you don’t have butterflies you need to start worrying. It is just a matter of getting them flying and not panicking too much.” Morkel sure didn’t panic after being hit for a boundary off the very first ball. Instead what followed later was a seething spell of fast bowling that created a lot of doubts in the minds of the Mumbai Indians batsmen. They found Morkel’s pace too hot to handle and were most of the times on the defensive against him. A wicket maiden and 15 dot balls in the spell were like a cherry on the cake. For Morkel it was all about sticking to his own strengths and executing his game plans. “It was a good all-round wicket. I knew with the new ball there is always going to be something on offer in the wicket. The key for me was to just stick to my basics and my game plan. A dot ball in T20 cricket is almost like taking a wicket. I tried and let the Mumbai Indians batsmen take me on and tonight it worked for me.” Morkel also recognised that in such a fickle format where fortunes go up and down, he might not enjoy the same kind of success each time he has the ball in his hand. For him, it was about cashing in on opportunities and doing what was in the best interest of the team. “The past couple of months were mentally testing and trying,” Morkel said of South Africa’s World Cup campaign. “We have moved on now and my focus is now with the Kolkata Knight Riders and I want to deliver my best for this team. I know it is not going to always go my way and I realise it is a part of T20 cricket. But if it is my day, I am going to make sure that I cash in and take wickets for the team.” The pacer also credited the entire team for the win and success upfront. “We have got a fantastic bowling unit and I can’t just take all the credit. If I can help from my end and make life easier for the rest of the guys who are striking, it would be great. It is just not about my performances. The game is over now and it is time to focus on the next one. I am really pleased with the way we have started the tournament.”