KOLKATA : 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) vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru. (ANI)