In the 49th game of IPL 2018, the hosts Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) claimed a comfortable 6-wicket victory (with 12 balls remaining) against Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens (Kolkata) on Tuesday night. While RR was bowled out for just 142 runs in 19 overs, KKR successfully chased down that target in 18 overs after losing 4 wickets.
KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik decided to field first after winning the toss. RR openers Rahul Tripathi and Jos Buttler provided a thrashing start for the visitors as they put a 63-run partnership in just 28 balls. But after the opening partnership was broken in the next delivery, RR batting suffered a big collapse.
While Tripathi and Buttler scored 27 runs and 39 runs respectively, next batsmen totally struggled against the KKR bowlers. None of the other top and middle-order batsman reached the 20-run mark as they went down to 107/7 from 63/0.
At the late of that innings, no.8 batsman Jaydev Unadkat added some crucial runs as he scored 26 runs off 18 balls (3 fours and only six). Apart from the opening partnership, there was the only one another partnership to reach the 20-run mark and that was the eighth-wicket partnership between Unadkat and Ish Sodhi for 21 runs.
At the end of that innings, RR was bowled out for 142 runs in 19 overs.
KKR left-arm chinaman Kuldeep Yadav bowled impressively in that innings as his bowling figure was 4-0-20-4. Also, Prasidh Krishna (2/35) and Andre Russell (2/13) got two wickets each while Shivam Mani (1/44) and Sunil Narine (1/29) shared one wicket each.
In reply, KKR opener Sunil Narine provided a great start as he got 21 runs in the first over. However, he was soon dismissed in the second over. No.3 batsman Robin Uthappa (4 runs) also departed cheaply while another opener Chris Lynn put an important partnership with Nitish Rana to control that innings.
After Rana’s dismissal (21 runs), Lynn had another superb partnership with the in-form skipper Dinesh Karthik. While their partnership set the match for the hosts, Lynn was dismissed on 45 runs. However, KKR didn’t face any further trouble as Karthik (41*) comfortably finished the game with Andre Russell (11*). KKR took 18 overs to chase that target and they lost only 4 wickets.
Among the RR bowlers, Ben Stokes (3/15) claimed three wickets and Ish Sodhi (1/21) picked up the other wicket.
Here are some Twitter reactions:
#RR, once again, proving to be a one-man army with the bat. Law of averages had to make an appearance at some stage….super comeback from #KKR Courtesy Kuldeep. Now to squeeze them dry. #IPL #KKRvRR
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) May 15, 2018
4 wickets for Kuldeep Yadav. Tossing it up beautifully. So good to see. And, sadly, will count as a horror season with the bat for Stokes.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) May 15, 2018
Jos Buttler, recalled by England with a licence to attack, has just taken 28 off an over in the IPL
— John Etheridge (@JohnSunCricket) May 15, 2018
A Royal messup from Rajasthan. Plenty of wrong decisions. You don't win with those.
— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) May 15, 2018
Well played @DineshKarthik captains innings. @imkuldeep18 and Sunil opened the game and DK and Lynn closed it on @rajasthanroyals Well played @KKRiders play offs are a whiff away. #KKRvRR
— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) May 15, 2018
Jos buttler in #RR #KKRvRR 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/dxjYipSfQ1
— Jebin™ (@jebin_tricks) May 15, 2018
Fine win for KKR. Rajasthan always struggling after Kuldeep bowled them out for sub-par score. Belated form shown by Stokes not good enough
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) May 15, 2018
Wonderful performance by the @KKRiders . Kuldeep brilliant with the ball after the early onslaught by RR and at the end of a chase if DK is unbeaten at the end, you invariably win. Top effort #KKRvsRR
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) May 15, 2018
Jaydev Unadkat, Costliest Player Of This IPL Is Finally Giving Some Returns At Least With The Bat. 😂 #KKRvRR #KKRvsRR
— Sir Ravindra Jadeja (@SirJadejaaaa) May 15, 2018
Stokes for RPS v Stokes for Royals. #RR #IPL pic.twitter.com/Oh1yL0TGR0
— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) May 15, 2018
What a change in this match! That 1st over from Shivam Mavi warmed your heart and then suddenly this game went somewhere else.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) May 15, 2018
KKR FANS TODAY #KKRvRR pic.twitter.com/BsqXs8apJV
— DK MERA SIKKUU🙌 (@its_jatin17) May 15, 2018
