KKR SNAP FOUR-GAME LOSING STREAK, BEAT RAJASTHAN BY SEVEN WICKETS
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) snapped a four-game losing streak to keep their Indian Premier League play-off hopes alive with a seven-wicket win over the Rajasthan Royals yesterday.
Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh anchored the chase of 153 for the Knight Riders, both remaining unbeaten when Rana took Kolkata past the targetmark on the first ball of the final over with a six over third man.
Rana finished just shy of a half-century, with 48 off 36 deliveries, while Singh was 42 not out in 23 balls.
The 66-run partnership between Rana and Singh followed a half-century stand between Rana and Kolkata captain Shreyas Iyer for the third-wicket.
Iyer had three boundaries and a six in his innings, fashioning a strong response to the Royals making two breakthroughs in the powerplay overs.
The Royals may have sensed a chance when Trent Boult had Iyer caught down the leg side in the 13th over – Kolkata still needing 61 runs – but those hopes were quickly dashed by the Rana and Singh.
A half-century from captain Sanju Samson and a 20-run penultimate over propped up what was an otherwise underwhelming batting performance from Rajasthan.
The Royals were slow off the blocks with 12 runs off the first four overs, losing opener Devdutt Padikkal early in the third over.
Samson then struck three boundaries and a six to speed up the scoring rate, with the Royals ending the powerplay on 38 for 1.
Much of Kolkata’s success in limiting the early scoring had come from ensuring that Jos Buttler, the tournament’s leading run-scorer, couldn’t find his familiar fluency with just 22 runs from 25 balls, dismissed when he was caught off the bowling of New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee.
Riyan Parag and Karun Nair contributed 19 and 13 respectively with the only other notable innings coming from West Indian Shimron Hetmyer who hit two sixes in the 20-run penultimate over.
Southee was the pick of the bowlers picking up two wickets, but conceding 46 off his four overs.
Rajasthan Royals 152 for 5 in 20 over (Sanju Samson 54, Shimron Hetmyer 27, Jos Buttler 22,
Tim Southee 2-46) Kolkata Knight Riders 158 for 3 in 19.1 overs (Nitish Rana 48 n.o., Rinku Singh 42 n.o., Shreyas Iyer 34,
Trent Boult 1-25)