Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and decided to bat first. They had won their last match comprehensively against SRH while batting first. The reigning champions needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, but just like the rest of their season, the opening pair didn’t work at all. Sunil Narine got out early to Yudhvir Singh’s delivery after hitting him for two boundaries.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Rahane stitched together a small partnership after Narine’s dismissal. They scored at a good rate and finished the powerplay having lost only one wicket. Although wickets kept falling at regular intervals, every player was striking the ball well. While Rahane scored 30 runs, the young star Angkrish Raghuvanshi was dismissed for 44 by Jofra Archer.
However, the main aggressor for the Knight Riders was Andre Russell. He provided a strong finish to the innings, something fans had been waiting weeks for. The big West Indian scored his first half-century of the season. Thanks to his 57 runs off 25 balls and Rinku Singh’s final-over flurry of 19 runs, KKR managed to post a mammoth total of 205 on a turning pitch.
RR was never in control of the chase, losing Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the very first over. Debutant Kunal Singh Rathore also got out for a duck, leaving the inaugural champions in huge trouble. With RR losing two wickets for just 8 runs, captain Riyan Parag and Yashasvi Jaiswal tried to steady the innings. They made the most of the power play and scored 59 runs.
However, after that, KKR’s spinners showed glimpses of their magic from last season. While Jaiswal got out after scoring 34 runs, Dhruv Jurel and Wanindu Hasaranga both fell for ducks to Varun Chakravarthy. Captain Parag turned the match on its head by hitting six sixes in six balls. Shubham Dubey and Jofra Archer tried their best to score 22 runs in the final over but fell short, losing the match by just 1 run. Kolkata Knight Riders stays alive in the competition.
Fans react to Kolkata Knight Riders’s comprehensive win over RR
Fans were hoping for a nail-biting match, and that’s exactly what they got. They felt disappointed when the Royals lost another match they should’ve won. Many fans even called them the unluckiest team in the IPL. Meanwhile, some believed KKR still might qualify for the playoffs.
One fan described the match as “cinema” and also praised Parag’s batting. Another fan called KKR lucky because Dubey didn’t capitalize on a free hit. One user noted that the Royals could’ve won four matches that were in their favor but still ended up losing. Here are some of the top reactions from fans:
One user felt sad for Parag as he tried his best to win the match for his team. Another user agreed and claimed that he needed a better team. Other fans were also impressed by Rinku’s fielding, which ultimately led to his team winning the match by just 1 run. Some fans praised Vaibhav Arora for his execution under pressure in the final over.
