A superb performance by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spinners, led by Varun Chakravarthy and debutant Suyash Sharma helped the home side clinch an 81-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Thursday. In the chase of 205, openers Virat Kohli and Faf Du Plessis provided a good start to RCB. Virat started off with a four on the first ball and two fours in the first over. The duo smacked Tim Southee for 23 runs in the fourth over, including two fours and two sixes. Just when RCB looked to pick up the pace even further, Sunil Narine started his 150th IPL game in style, cleaning Virat’s top of off stump to remove him for 21 off 18 balls. RCB was 44/1 in 4.5 overs.
This wicket started the visitors’ downfall. Varun Chakravarty also joined Narine in the spin party, dismissing Faf for 23 off 12 balls. RCB was 46/2 in 5.2 overs.
Chakravarty destroyed RCB’s top-order, sending back Harshal Patel, promoted up the order for a duck and Glenn Maxwell for five off seven balls. Narine sent RCB into a state of alarm by cleaning up Shahbaz Ahmed for just one. Half of the RCB line-up was in the hut for 61/5. At the end of 10 overs, RCB was 69/5, with Dinesh (2*) and Bracewell (12*) unbeaten. Michael Bracewell and Dinesh Karthik tried to bring back RCB into the match by stabilising the innings, but Shardul Thakur added to his batting heroics by dismissing the Kiwi all-rounder for 19 off 18 balls. RCB was reduced to 83/6.
Spinner Suyash Sharma, making his IPL debut made an impact in his second over, dismissing impact player Anuj Rawat, who replaced Mohammed Siraj for one and Dinesh Karthik for nine, sinking RCB to 86/8 in 12.5 overs. Karn Sharma (1) became Suyash’s third wicket. RCB was 96/9 in 14.3 overs. Varun’s last wicket was Akash Deep, who was dismissed for 17. RCB was bundled out for 123 in 17.4 overs and lost by 81 runs.
Chakravarthy (4/15) was the pick of the bowlers for KKR. Suyash also got 3/30 in his four overs. Narine took two while Shardul got one scalp as well.
Earlier, explosive half-centuries by opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz and lower-order batter Shardul Thakur and Rinku Singh’s century stand for the sixth wicket with Shardul helped Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) reach a massive total of 204/7 against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Thursday.
Put to bat first by RCB, Rahmanullah Gurbaz helped KKR get off to a solid start, smashing Mohammed Siraj for three straight fours in the third over. Venkatesh Iyer on the other end,
started slowly.