KOLKATA : A century stand by Will Jacks and Rajat Patidar could not prevent another heartbreaking loss for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), as they agonisingly fell short by just a run against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.
With this win, KKR moved up to the second spot with five wins and two losses, giving them 10 points. The RCB stays bottom of the table with a win and seven losses, aggregating just two points.
Chasing 223, openers Virat Kohli and Faf Du Plessis got their team off to a rousing start. Virat looked in fine nick, creaming Mitchell Starc and Harshit Rana for boundaries and sixes.
However, in what was the turning point of the match, Virat was caught off his own bowling by Harshit Rana for 18 off seven balls, with two sixes and a four. However, the on-field decision was referred to the third umpire, as the ball appeared to be going over his waistline. The third umpire, Englishman Michael Gough, however, upheld the on-field decision after going over the replays.
Furious at being adjudged out, Virat vented his ire at the on-field umpires before walking off the field in a huff. The RCB was 27/1 off 2.1 overs.
Skipper Faf was the next to fall, as mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy dismissed him and Venkatesh Iyer took a fine diving catch at mid-on. Faf was back for just seven runs. RCB was 35/2 in 3.1 overs.
Will Jacks and Rajat Patidar was the fresh pair on the field. Jacks started well with his attacking intent. He went all-out on Mitchell Starc in the final over of the powerplay, with three massive sixes and a four. At the end of powerplay, RCB was 74/2, with Jacks (40*) and Patidar (6*) unbeaten.
Jacks reached his half-century, his first in IPL in 29 balls, with four boundaries and five sixes.
RCB reached the 100-run mark in nine overs.
Rajat Patidar made sure that RCB finished the first half of their innings on a high as he launched Suyansh Sharma for two fours and two massive sixes over deep mid-wicket. At the end of 10 overs, RCB was 122/2, with Patidar (39*) and Jacks (53*) unbeaten.
Patidar looked really fine against spinners. He did not spare Narine either, launching him for two sixes over long-on and deep midwicket, bringing up his fifty in 21 balls, with three fours and five sixes.
The duo reached their 100-run partnership in just 47 balls.
Andre Russell ended the 102-run partnership between Jacks-Patidar. First, he removed Jacks after he was caught by Angkrish Raghuvanshi for 55 in 32 balls, with four boundaries and five sixes at long-on. In the same over, he got rid of Patidar, by getting him caught by Harshit at backward point. RCB was 138/4 in 11.4 overs. Patidar was gone for 52 in 23 balls, with three fours and five sixes.
RCB reached their 150-run mark in 12.2 overs.
After these early wickets, the pair of Dinesh Karthik and Suyash Prabhudessai carried on and attempted to restore some momentum.
At the end of 15 overs, RCB was 174/6, with Suyash (19*) and Dinesh (5*) unbeaten.
The equation eventually came down to 42 in final four balls.
Suyash fell for 24 in 18 balls, with three fours, giving Harshit Rana his second wicket. RCB was 187/7 in 17.2 overs.
Russell dented the hopes of RCB big time, getting Karthik caught by Phil Salt for 25 in 18 balls, with three fours and a six. RCB was 205/8 in 19 overs.
In the final over, Karn hit two massive sixes, leaving RCB with three runs to get in two balls. However, on the next two balls, Karn was cleaned up for 20 in seven balls by Starc and Lockie Ferguson was run out for just one run. RCB ended their innings at 221 in 20 overs.
Russell (3/25) was the pick of the bowlers for KKR. Narine and Rana took two wickets. Starc and Chakravarthy got a wicket each.
Earlier, Blazing knocks by skipper Shreyas Iyer and opener Philip Salt propelled Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to 222/6 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in an IPL clash at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.
After winning the toss, Bengaluru asked Kolkata to bat first under the sweltering sun on what appeared to be a flat surface with dry patches at the Eden. Salt (48 runs from 14 balls) and Sunil Narine (10 runs from 15 balls) opened for the hosts and played a partnership of 56 runs.
Salt appeared to be in fine nick from ball one, as he smashed 7 fours and 3 sixes. However, his knock had to come to an end in the 5th over after Mohammed Siraj removed him in the first powerplay.
The second wicket came after Yash Dayal dismissed Narine in the 5.2 overs. The Caribbean allrounder failed to make a mark in the game still he smashed 2 fours against RCB.
Youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi (3 runs from 4 balls) was the second victim of Dayal’s brilliant bowling performance. Meanwhile, Venkatesh Iyer (16 runs from 8 balls) tried to help KKR back on track, however, Cameron Freen dismissed him in the 9th over.
After losing four wickets, skipper Shreyas Iyer (50 runs from 36 balls) and Rinku Singh (24 runs from 16 balls) played a crucial partnership and added important runs on the scoreboard. Iyer slammed 7 fours and 1 six during his time on the crease. On the other hand, Singh smashed 2 fours and 1 six.
The iconic duo of Iyer-Singh did not last long as Lockie Ferguson dismissed Rinku in the 14th over. The last wicket of the game came in the 18th over after Green picked up his second wicket, removing Iyer from the crease.
Andre Russell (27 runs from 20 balls) and Ramandeep Singh (24 runs from 9 balls) were on the crease till the last over and powered KKR to 222/6. The two batters played a pivotal role and helped KKR to cross the 200-run mark.
The last two overs of the first inning have been costly for the RCB bowlers, as Siraj gifted 20 runs in the 19th over. While Dayal gave 16 runs in the last overs.
On the other hand, Dayal and Green picked up two wickets in their respective spells. While Siraj and Ferguson scalped one wicket each.
RCB need to make 223 runs to win the game against KKR in Kolkata.
Brief score: Kolkata Knight Riders 222/6 ( Shreyas Iyer 50, Philip Salt 48, Andre Russell 27*; Cameron Green 2/35) wins against Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 221 (Will Jacks 55, Rajat Patidar 52, Andre Russell 3/25) (ANI).