In a thrilling encounter at the Eden Gardens, IPL 2024 witnessed Karn Sharma’s valiant attempt to steer Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to victory against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Facing Mitchell Starc in the final over, Karn unleashed a barrage of sixes, bringing RCB agonizingly close to a remarkable win.
Mitchell Starc, under immense pressure, managed to dismiss Karn Sharma on the penultimate delivery, securing a nail-biting 1-run victory for KKR. Karn’s assault began with a flat six off Starc’s first delivery, igniting hope for RCB. He then hammered consecutive sixes on the third and fourth balls, reducing the required runs to just 3 off 2 deliveries. However, Starc had the final say, dismissing Karn with a caught and bowled on the penultimate ball, leaving RCB heartbroken.
Despite Karn’s heroics, RCB’s pursuit of KKR’s formidable 223-run target started on a shaky note with the controversial dismissal of Virat Kohli by Harshit Rana. Faf du Plessis’s quick departure further compounded RCB’s woes. However, Will Jacks and Rajat Patidar resurrected the innings with aggressive half-centuries, stitching a crucial 102-run partnership for the third wicket.
Here are the videos of the last over drama:
📽️ WATCH: A jaw-dropping finish!
The final delivery that sealed the win for the @KKRiders 👏👏
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/hB6cFsk9TT#TATAIPL | #KKRvRCB pic.twitter.com/BR5RYrOeDM
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 21, 2024
Jacks blazed a rapid 55 off 32 balls, while Patidar’s blistering 52 off 23 balls injected momentum into RCB’s chase. Despite their efforts, Dinesh Karthik’s late cameo and Karn Sharma’s fiery onslaught fell short, as RCB finished agonizingly close to victory.
KKR owed their strong position to Philip Salt’s explosive start, amassing 48 off 14 balls, followed by skipper Shreyas Iyer’s composed 50. Contributions from Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, and Ramandeep bolstered KKR’s total to 227 runs.
Russell’s all-round brilliance, including a vital spell of 3/25 with the ball, proved pivotal in securing KKR’s victory. His wickets of Jacks, Patidar, and Karthik turned the tide in KKR’s favor at crucial junctures.
With their fifth win of the season, KKR ascended to the second spot on the IPL 2024 points table. Meanwhile, RCB’s sixth consecutive defeat leaves them languishing at the bottom, with only one win in eight matches. Despite the heartbreak, Karn Sharma’s fearless batting epitomized RCB’s fighting spirit, offering a glimmer of hope in an exhilarating contest at the Eden Gardens.
Here is how the netizens reacted:
Don’t know what to say. We won. 😁 pic.twitter.com/PtbwqwqMdf
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 21, 2024
RCB fans after another heartbreak #KKRvRCB #IPL2024 pic.twitter.com/WimZ9wPlxl
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) April 21, 2024
CLASSIC IPL FINISH
— absy (@absycric) April 21, 2024
Appreciation tweet for Karn sharma 👏🏻 its Fcking three sixes against Might starc 🥵🥵🥵🔥🔥🔥🔥
#RCBvsKKR pic.twitter.com/fITAkVrG0Z
— V I P E R (@VIPERoffl) April 21, 2024
Feel for Karn Sharma. Once Dinesh Karthik got out it looked impossible for RCB to win but he dragged the game to the last ball. pic.twitter.com/5D7SCEqMBR
— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) April 21, 2024
PHIL SALT… WHAT A RUN OUT. 🤯🔥
RCB needed 2 to tie the match, Salt on a rubbish throw gave a full strength dive to dismiss Ferguson and win it for KKR by 1 run. pic.twitter.com/jzXZp8CbnO
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) April 21, 2024
Feel for Karn Sharma…!!!!
– This knock will be one of the best cameos ever in RCB history, he took down Mitchell Starc at Eden. pic.twitter.com/tEtqNwRHAx
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) April 21, 2024
6 6 6 by Karn Sharma in last over
Commentators and audience : #KKRvRCB pic.twitter.com/jti9R99hqu
— SwatKat💃 (@swatic12) April 21, 2024
Take a bow, Karn Sharma…🔥🛐 pic.twitter.com/vvy4kuKI6F
— Siddhartha Patel 🔥 (@Siddhu__94) April 21, 2024