Kolkata Knight Riders recorded a thrilling 1-run win against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 36th match of the IPL 2024 at Eden Gardens on Sunday. Bottom-placed RCB suffered their seventh defeat of the season while Kolkata jumped to second place in the points table with their fifth win.
Captain Shreyas Iyer scored his maiden fifty of the season and opener Phil Salt smashed 48 runs off 14 balls to help Kolkata post a 222 total while batting first. Bengaluru kept the game balanced with Will Jacks and Rajat Patidar scoring quick fifties but the hosts pulled off a thrilling one-run win on the last ball of the game.
With seven losses in eight opening matches, Faf du Plessis-led RCB remain in contention for the playoff qualification but face an against-the-odd job to achieve it. They need to win all of their remaining six games and also need to depend on other teams' results to make the top four this season.
Meanwhile, Kolkata enjoyed a sensational start with English opener Phil Salt smashing 48 runs off just 14 balls. Yash Dayal kept Bengaluru alive in the game with in-form Sunil Narine and Angkrish Raghuvanshi's wickets in the last over of the powerplay.
Shreyas ended his poor run of form by scoring his first fifty of the 2024 season but was not able to finish the innings for his team. Returning Cameron Green dismisses Shreyas and Venkatesh Iyer to shift momentum towards RCB but late cameos from Andree Russell and Ramandeep Singh took KKR to a 222/6 total in 20 overs. Yash Dayal and Cameron Green took two catches each for Bengaluru but the former leaked 56 runs in his four overs.
Chasing a huge target, RCB lost their openers Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis in 3.1 overs. But English youngster Will Jacks and promoted Rajat Patidar scorched up a 102-run stand for the third wicket with both recording quick fifties.
Will Jacks produced his maiden IPL fifty by top-scoring with 55 off 32 balls and Patidar kept RCB in the driving seat by smashing 52 runs off just 23 balls with the help of three fours and five sixes. Andre Russell brought Kolkata back in the game by removing both Jacks and Patidar in the 12th over.
Sunil Narine then shone with a ball by removing Cameron Green and Mahipal Lomror as Kolkata dominated the closing stages. Veteran Dinesh Karthik scored 25 runs off 18 balls and then spinner Karn Sharma almost pulled it off for RCB while chasing 21 runs in the last over of Mitchell Starc.
Karn Sharma smashed three sixes on the first four deliveries to take RCB close to the target but Kolkata survived with two wickets on the last two balls. Russell bagged the Player of the Match award for his three-wicket haul and crucial cameo.
Kolkata Knight Riders Playing XI: Philip Salt (wk), Sunil Narine, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Shreyas Iyer (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Varun Chakaravarthy, Harshit Rana.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Playing XI: Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Will Jacks, Rajat Patidar, Cameron Green, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Lockie Ferguson, Yash Dayal, Mohammed Siraj.
