Kolkata Knight Riders made a resounding return to Indian Premier League 2021, with a 9-wicket win against Royal Challengers Bangalore. They won with 60 balls to spare, their best in IPL history.
Everything went well for KKR who got a new lease of life in this edition, with just their third win from 8 matches. For Bangalore, it was a nightmare as they failed to reach even hundred batting first.
Virat Kohli won the toss and decided to bat first as K.S. Bharat and Wanindu Hasaranga debuted for RCB, and Venkatesh Iyer for KKR. Eoin Morgan opened with spin, and Varun Chakravarthy bowled the first over. Prasidh Krishna’s opening over, the second of the match, pegged the RCB back when he dismissed Kohli for just 5.
The early wicket provided confidence to the KKR bowlers, who kept the pressure on Devdutt Padikkal and debutant Bharat. Finally, Lockie Ferguson provided the second breakthrough as he got the outside edge of the Padikkal in the last ball of the Powerplay.
KKR had used Andre Russell only during the death overs in the first phase of IPL 2021. Tonight, Morgan brought him on in the seventh over. Russell first got Bharat, then bowled A.B de Villiers first ball with a yorker in his second over to reduce RCB to 52/4.
Morgan shuffled his bowlers around, never allowing the RCB batters feel comfortable. Chakravarthy picked up back-to-back wickets in the 12th over including Glenn Maxwell. He took two in two, and only an inside edge saved Kyle Jamieson from becoming a hat-trick victim. Chakravarthy got his third wicket in the next over and effected a run out in his last over to finish as the Player-of-the-Match.
By then RCB were 79/8. Ferguson and Russell returned to finish the RCB innings for just 92, their sixth-lowest total in IPL history. Russell finished with 3-9, Chakravarthy 3-13 and Ferguson 2-24.
The Knight Riders opened batting with Iyer and Shubman Gill. Iyer announced himself with two fours in the first over, from Mohammed Siraj. Gill joined in the next over, with a four off Jamieson. Jamieson’s second over went for 16 as two fours from Gill was complemented with a six from Iyer.
By the end of Powerplay, KKR was 56 for no loss with the match almost sealed. The RCB spinners could not create any impact as they kept playing their shots. While Gill looked particularly solid against the spinners, Iyer played a few unconventional shots and got a four off Hasaranga with a switch-pull.
With 11 needed for victory, Gill mistimed one and was caught at long off, off Yuzvendra Chahal. However, Iyer finished things off with three fours in the same over. Russell did not even have to face a single delivery.
The big win helped KKR to recover their net run rate. They are currently at fifth place.
Brief scores: Royal Challengers Bangalore 92 in 19 overs (Devdutt Padikkal 22; Andre Russell 3-9) lost to Kolkata Knight Riders 94/1 in 10 overs (Shubman Gill 48; Yuzvendra Chahal 1-23) by 9 wickets with 60 balls to spare. Player of the Match: Varun Chakravarthy.