Kolkata Knight Riders bagged their 5th win against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in front of their home fans as they regained the 2nd spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) with a 1-run thrilling win at the Eden Gardens.

Most IPL wickets for a single team! 👏 pic.twitter.com/s9FSChf7te

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— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 21, 2024

KKR Post 200+ Total

The first match of the Sunday doubleheaders witnessed the home team opting to bat first under the scorching heat of Kolkata. KKR’s opening pair, Phil Salt and Sunil Narine made a promising start, particularly Salt, whose aggressive approach was evident right from the outset.

Salt’s blazing knock of 48 runs off just 14 balls, scored at a remarkable strike rate of 342, provided KKR with an ideal beginning in the powerplay. However, his partner Sunil Narine failed to capitalize on his good form, resulting in a slight setback for the team.

Despite losing wickets in quick succession, skipper Shreyas Iyer (50) and Andre Russell played crucial roles in the latter part of the innings, guiding the hosts to an impressive total of 222/6 in their allotted 20 overs.

For RCB, securing their second victory is imperative following a series of disappointing outcomes. The visitors will need a strong start in the second innings, with particular emphasis on openers Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis. Currently positioned at the bottom of the table, RCB faces an uphill battle to qualify for the playoffs this season.

RCB Remain Rock-Bottom

In reply, RCB openers Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis’s strong start to the chase was halted by a controversial dismissal of Virat Kohli courtesy of a Harshit Rana delivery.

While Kohli thought of the delivery as an above-the-waist no-ball, the 3rd umpire ultimately declared the delivery as a fair one which came to the shock of both RCb batters in the 3rd over.

With skipper Faf du Plessis also dismissed on 7, it Will Jacks and Rajat Patidar who changed gears and started piling the pressure on the KKR bowlers.

However, both batters departed after scoring brilliant half-centuries on the night. Later on, Dinesh Karthik and impact substitute Suyash Prabhudessai started to bring some momentum into the chase.

While Suyash went for just 24, Dinesh Karthik’s 25 eventually turned out in the losing favour as RCB remained rock bottom in the league despite a thrilling end to the tie.

Also Read: IPL 2024: Virat Kohli Left Furious With Controversial Dismissal Against KKR