By In another high-scoring game this season, Kolkata Knight Riders(KKR) held their nerve at the end to seal a thrilling one-run win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Eden Gardens on Sunday (April 21).
Chasing a big target of 223, RCB were cruising at one point through fifties from Will Jacks and Rajat Patidar but Andre Russell removed them in the same over to twist the contest. RCB continued to stay in the hunt through Dinesh Karthik, and a late cameo from Karn Sharma almost pulled it off. With three needed off the last ball, Mitchell Starc delivered a wide yorker and then Phil Salt produced an acrobatic run out to catch Lockie Ferguson well short on the second run, to give KKR crucial two points.
KKR blazed away through Salt
Earlier in the afternoon, it was business as usual for the Knight Riders with the bat after being sent in by Faf du Plessis on a dry-looking surface. For a change, Sunil Narine couldn’t get going as RCB executed their wide line plans and yorkers precisely at him but couldn’t do the same to his partner. Salt unleashed a 14-ball 48 to ensure that KKR got another riveting PowerPlay score to their list.
RCB hit back through wickets
Narine’s scratchy innings was put to an end by Yash Dayal with a deceptive slower ball that got miscued to long-off. Salt then narrowly missed out on his fifty as he holed out to deep mid-wicket and his dismissal was soon followed by Angkrish Raghuvanshi who fell to a blinder of a catch from Cameron Green at mid-wicket. The Australian then struck with the ball a few minutes later to get Venkatesh Iyer on the short ball. From 56/0, KKR slipped to 97/4 in the space of 25 deliveries.
Shreyas, Rinku rebuild; RCB hang in
Despite the fall of wickets, the high run rate prevalent allowed Shreyas Iyer and Rinku Singh to play with minimal fuss. They still continued to find the fence, albeit with a tone of restraint in the partnership. Shreyas and Rinku were particularly aggressive against spin, using their feet to clear the ropes. The left-hander fell to Green who once again used a short ball to prise out a wicket. Shreyas did get to his first fifty of the season but he also perished to a lovely diving catch from Du Plessis at long-off.
KKR inflict one-run heartbreak on RCB at Eden Gardens
Ramandeep gives the ideal finish
It’s not always that a batter overshadows Andre Russell in finishing an innings off, with the West Indian also present at the crease. But Ramandeep Singh did just that, smashing a nine-ball 24 to propel the total past the 220-run mark at a time when RCB would have fancied to restrict KKR to much lower. Russell also got some runs but was nowhere close to his fluent self.
Technology proves the undoing of Kohli
With such a big total to chase, RCB had no option but to go hard from the get-go. Virat Kohli set the tone with a hook over fine leg against Harshit Rana in the first over. Mitchell Starc also got struck for a six in his first over by Kohli but the promise was cut short in Rana’s second over. A high full toss saw Kohli checking his shot, only to lob it straight up for a return catch. The former RCB captain was adamant on a waist-high no ball but he had stepped out of the crease. The third umpire eventually sided with the bowler and Kohli had to walk off.
Jacks, Patidar put on a show
After both RCB openers fell early, the team needed somebody else to stand up. Known for his explosive gameplay at the top of the order, Will Jacks came to the party with Rajat Patidar also joining in. Both were severe on the pacers while Patidar looked equally at ease against spin. Boundaries started to flow, mostly in the form of sixes, and KKR were unable to put a lid on the scoring rate. The pair added 102 off just 48 balls to put the chase in cruise control for RCB.
Russell flexes his bowling muscle
Russell often powers his way to breathtaking knocks with the bat but today it was his bowling that gave KKR instant impact. At a time when the home side were struggling to contain the run flow, Russell came in and struck twice in his first over to remove both set batters. The slower balls worked both times as RCB started to lose their way. The twin strikes from Russell started an implosion for the tourists.
Karthik keeps the fight going
A target of 280-plus couldn’t dampen Dinesh Karthik’s mood the other night, so he wasn’t going to back down for 223. Unfortunately for him, he lacked support
