At the Eden Gardens stadium on Tuesday, the top two teams in the IPL 2024 season squared off. Sanju Samson made two changes, winning the toss and opting to bowl first. For the visitors, Jos Buttler and Ravichandran Ashwin were back in the lineup.
Shreyas Iyer made the decision to start the game with the same squad as before. To demonstrate their might with the bat and ball, the local team defeated the Lucknow Super Giants by eight wickets. With just one more victory, their exceptional run-rate will propel them to the top of the standings.
In 5.5 overs, Kolkata Knight Riders scored 50 runs.
Phil Salt was out early, but Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Sunil Narine made sure the runs continued coming in. To keep the RR fielders and bowlers upright, the two batsmen produced some incredible hits.
Powerplay: Mandatory (56/1) and Overs 0.1 to 6 plus the first strategic time-out
After making a spectacular return catch to get rid of Phil Salt for ten, Avesh Khan claimed the first wicket for the Royals. Before the opening break, Sunil Narine hit Kuldeep Sen for a four and a six, extending his excellent batting streak.
Sunil Narine, off 29 balls, for half a century
Sunil Narine, a West Indian, gave the Kolkata Knight Riders another amazing start. To complete his half-century in front of his home crowd, the 35-year-old blasted a six off Ashwin.
In 10 overs, Kolkata Knight Riders scored 100 runs.
Sanju Samson and the Rajasthan Royals were clueless, as KKR’s Narine and Angkrish Raghuvanshi showed no signs of weakness at the bat. The tenth over concluded with a hundred runs, providing KKR with a commanding lead.
Also read: IPL 2024 Match 31 between KKR and RR: Why isn’t Keshav Maharaj playing?
150 runs from 14.2 overs for Kolkata Knight Riders
After being under constant pressure from the KKR hitters, the Royals bowlers finally found some relief by taking two wickets. However, a four from Andre Russell and Sunil Narine in the 15th over of the innings helped the home team surpass 150 runs.
Sunil Narine (off 49 balls) for the century
As Sunil Narine struck a four, Gautam Gambhir and the rest of the KKR team could be seen jubilantly. What a match and setting for the seasoned West Indian player to score his first T20 and IPL century, which the boundary secured.
Kolkata Knight Riders: 184/3 after 15 overs is the second strategic time-out.
The KKR support crew came out to give Sunil Narine a hug and congrats on reaching his century. The 35-year-old has been fantastic, as he has gradually motivated his team to score more over 200 runs.
200 runs in 18.2 overs for Kolkata Knight Riders
When the West Indian star was out for 109, Trent Boult eventually put an end to Sunil Narine’s incredible effort. To help KKR surpass 200 runs, Rinku Singh struck Avesh Khan for a six.
The Innings’ End Twenty overs and 223/6 for Kolkata Knight Riders.
Like RCB on Monday, Sanju Samson and the Rajasthan Royals will regretfully look back on their choice to bowl first. In order to help the home club defeat a formidable RR team, the KKR hitters, particularly Sunil Narine, came out swinging.