KKR vs RCB Review – Bangalore humbled by Shardul, Mystery spinners
Nitish Rana-led Kolkata Knight Riders earned their first points in the IPL 2023 season after emerging victorious against the Royal Challengers Bangalore by 81 runs. The two sides squared off in the ninth match of the league at Eden Gardens on Thursday, April 6.
RCB decided to field first upon winning the toss. Kolkata then had a topsy-turvy start as they lost a few early wickets. However, clinical performances from opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Shardul Thakur in the middle-order, and Rinku Singh saw the side clawing their way back into the contest.
David Willey struck twice on the trot in under five overs but Gurbaz quickly took control and scored 57 runs. Soon after, Shardul registered his maiden IPL fifty with a quickfire 29-ball 68. KKR eventually posted a humongous total of 204 runs in their stipulated 20 overs of the contest. Meanwhile, Willey and spinner Karn Sharma got two wickets apiece. Whereas Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, and Michael Bracewell concluded the innings with a wicket under their belt.
What followed was absolute carnage by the KKR bowling unit in the chase as RCB were humbled throughout. Though Virat Kohli and skipper Faf du Plessis got off to a brisk start, their innings was cut short by the rival spinners who helped extend the domination. Varun Chakravarthy got a four-wicket haul. While Impact Player Suyash Sharma recorded a brilliant three-wicket haul to keep RCB reeling in the chase. KKR eventually clinched their first two points after winning by a huge margin of 81 runs.
Top Performers from the match:
Shardul Thakur
Shardul breathed fire despite the early fall of wickets. Soon after entering the crease, he took the onus of getting the big runs and cleared the boundaries with ease. Shardul played fearless cricket throughout and notched up the joint-fastest fifty (off 20 balls) to help get to a massive first innings total. Additionally, he picked up a wicket to further dent RCB’s chase.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Gurbaz put up a solid show in the top-order after KKR lost Venkatesh Iyer and Mandeep Singh early. Playing out a delicate knock but also getting the boundaries at regular intervals, the Afghan batter scored 57 off 44 balls to lay down a strong foundation.
Varun Chakravarthy
Varun was instrumental in getting the vital scalps of Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, and Harshal Patel to keep the pressure on RCB early in the contest. The rival side eventually succumbed under pressure after the spinner cleaned up two of their important batters in the line-up. He completed a four-wicket haul as he picked the final wicket to win the contest for his side.
What’s next for both teams?
The two-time IPL winners play defending champions Gujarat Titans on April 9 whereas Bangalore will look to bounce back from their loss in their forthcoming match against Lucknow Super Giants on April 10 at home.
