Bengaluru, Mar 30:
In a spectacular display of batting prowess, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) showcased their dominance against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Match 10 of the TATA IPL 2024 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Led by Venkatesh Iyer and Sunil Narine, KKR chased down a challenging target of 183 with ease, securing their second consecutive victory in the tournament.
The opening duo of Narine and Phil Salt laid the foundation for KKR’s chase, forming a formidable partnership of 86 runs in just 6.3 overs. Narine’s explosive batting, coupled with Salt’s aggressive approach, propelled KKR to a commanding position early in the innings.
After Salt’s departure, Venkatesh Iyer took charge and continued the onslaught with a counter-attacking half-century, scoring 50 runs off just 30 deliveries. His innings provided crucial momentum to KKR’s chase, steering them towards a comfortable seven-wicket victory.
Earlier in the match, KKR’s bowlers, particularly Andre Russell and Harshit Rana, delivered excellent spells to restrict RCB to a total of 182/6. Despite a strong start by RCB’s batting lineup, with Virat Kohli and Cameron Green firing on all cylinders, KKR managed to pull things back with timely wickets and disciplined bowling.
Chasing the target of 183, KKR got off to a flying start, thanks to the explosive batting display by Salt and Narine. Narine’s onslaught, in particular, was relentless as he smashed five powerful sixes to dominate the RCB bowling attack. By the end of the Powerplay, KKR had raced to 85/0, laying a solid foundation for their successful chase.
In the seventh over of the innings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Faf du Plessis decided to introduce spin into the attack for the first time. This tactical move paid off as Mayank Dager, the spinner brought into the attack, managed to dismiss the dangerous Sunil Narine, who was batting aggressively on 47 runs off just 22 deliveries. Narine’s wicket provided RCB with a crucial breakthrough, putting a dent in Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) formidable opening partnership.
In the subsequent over, RCB’s Impact Player Vijaykumar Vyshak struck again by dismissing Phil Salt, who had been contributing effectively to KKR’s run chase with a quickfire 30 runs off 20 balls. Vyshak’s timely wicket further boosted RCB’s morale as they sought to stem the flow of runs and put pressure on the KKR batting lineup.
However, RCB missed an opportunity to capitalise on their momentum when Dayal dropped Shreyas Iyer on 9 runs in the 10th over. Despite this reprieve, KKR reached a strong position at the halfway mark of their innings, with the scoreboard reading 112/2.
Venkatesh Iyer, undeterred by the fall of wickets at the other end, continued to attack the RCB bowling. In the 11th over, he took on the pace of Alzarri Joseph, smashing a couple of sixes and fours to collect 20 runs off the over. Iyer’s aggressive batting approach showcased his confidence and ease at the crease as he reached his fifty milestone off just 29 balls, further solidifying KKR’s position in the chase.
