Match 18 of the Indian Premier League 2021 saw the Rajasthan Royals cruise past the Kolkata Knight Riders’ paltry total of 134 with six wickets and seven balls to spare, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Chris Morris returned figures of 4-23, while Chetan Sakariya’s disciplined effort impressed one and all. Rajasthan captain Sanju Samson then stood firm at one end to shepherd his side home. Here is how they reacted on Twitter:
Well done @rajasthanroyals for winning this game convincingly. Bowling was top notch from Morris and Chetan. Kkr needs to regroup quickly before it’s too late.They have a better team on paper.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) April 24, 2021
Shubman Gill and Nitish Rana once again failed to provide Kolkata with a decent start. Gill got out cheaply, while Rana could not convert his start.
This isn’t how Morgan/Baz believe T20 should be played. KKR gonna have to start swinging at the top of the order.
I’m sure they’ll be back! 💥
— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) April 24, 2021
Harsha Bhogle reckons that Kolkata need some big players, perhaps Andre Russell or Dinesh Karthik, to come early and take control of things.
#KKR need one of their big players to control the innings from early on; I fear there is too much bottom loading.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) April 24, 2021
Eoin Morgan fell for a duck today. His form has been a matter of concern for the Knight Riders.
Average and SR of captains in #IPL2021
55.25 – Rahul (133.13 SR)
47.66 – Kohli (128.82)
46.75 – Samson (143.84)
40.20 – Rohit (130.51)
32.50 – Warner (116.07)
29.33 – Pant (129.41)
11.66 – Dhoni (129.62)
9.00 – Morgan (112.50)Morgan has the lowest average and SR #KKRvsRR
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) April 24, 2021
Samson curbed his attacking instinct and did well to anchor the innings. He scored 42 not out off 41 deliveries, with the help of just two fours and a six.
Very good knock Samson! Played the situation perfectly and took his side home. A vital win for them.
Kolkata can keep bragging about the brand of game without playing anywhere close to it.
— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) April 24, 2021