NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) managed to clinch a narrow 4-run victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in an Indian Premier League match filled with twists and turns at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer admitted to experiencing jitters as Heinrich Klaasen of SRH mounted a ferocious assault while chasing a daunting target of 209 runs.
"Right from the 17th over, I had butterflies in the stomach! To be honest, I thought anything can happen in the last over," confessed Iyer.
With SRH needing 13 runs off the final over, the odds seemed to favor them, especially with Klaasen in blistering form.
However, Iyer's decision to entrust the ball to the young Harshit Rana proved to be a masterstroke. Rana rose to the occasion, dismissing both Klaasen and Shahbaz Ahmed, effectively sealing KKR's victory.
"Harshit was a bit nervous when he was coming to bowl (the last over). I told him, 'Even if we lose, it's fine'. I tried to calm him down as much as possible," added Iyer.
Andre Russell played pivotal role in KKR's triumph. Russell's explosive batting display, which saw him smash seven sixes and three fours en route to an unbeaten 64 off just 25 balls, left SRH struggling to contain him.
"Obviously, Dre Russ (Russell) at the end does what Dre Russ does, he's pretty hard to contain," acknowledged SRH skipper Pat Cummins.
1/10:Russell, Harshit help KKR edge SRH in IPL thriller
AFP
2/10:Andre Russell's heroics
The big-hitting Russell steered Kolkata to 208/7 with his unbeaten 25-ball 64 and a 81-run stand with Rinku Singh after England's Phil Salt began the batting charge with his 54.PTI
3/10:Harshit Rana's last over
Needing 13 off the last over after a flurry of sixes from SRH's Klaasen in overs 18 and 19, fast bowler Harshit was hit for a six on ball one but kept calm to send back Shahbaz Ahmed and Klaasen in the space of three balls.PTI
4/10:Heinrich Klaasen's blitz
Heinrich Klaasen smashed 63 off 29 balls to give KKR a scare as SRH attempted to chase down a victory target of 209 at Eden Gardens.PTI
5/10:Pat Cummins' debut as captain
Pat Cummins, on his IPL debut as captain, faced the final ball and needed four to tie the match but Harshit bowled a dot ball to trigger wild celebrations.AP
6/10:Mitchell Starc's expensive spell
Mitchell Starc broke the record in the auction when KKR shelled out $2.98 million for the left-arm quick. But Starc endured a day to forget, getting hit for 53 runs off his four overs.AFP
7/10:Sunrisers Hyderabad's strong start
SRH started strongly as Mayank Agarwal (32) and Abhishek Sharma (32) put on 60 for the opening wicket before Harshit broke through to send back Agarwal.PTI
8/10:Russell's bowling impact
Starc created an early chance but wicketkeeper Salt spilled a catch to extend Sharma's stay, which was finally cut short by Russell's pace bowling.PTI
9/10:KKR's spin dominance
KKR unleashed their spin force and a wicket each to Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine further dented SRH's chase.AP
10/10:Klaasen-Ahmed partnership
Klaasen decided to unleash his power in a 58-run stand off 16 ball with Ahmed to scare KKR.AFPCummins commended the efforts of Klaasen and Ahmed, whose partnership nearly pulled off a remarkable victory for SRH. Despite the loss, Cummins found positives in his team's performance, highlighting areas for improvement moving forward.
"In a game where we didn't really pull it all together. We still almost competed against a very good side at their home venue, lots to be encouraged by, a lot of good performers, a couple of points to work on also," stated Cummins.
The match provided spectators with a thrilling display of cricket, underscoring the excitement and unpredictability that the IPL is renowned for.
(With inputs from PTI)
