KOLKATA: Everything is possible in T20 cricket. Even Karn Sharma smashing Mitchell Starc for three sixes in a situation where holding nerves is the only thing that matters.
Karn’s last-over heroics, however, proved inadequate for Royal Challengers Bengaluru as they lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by one run in an IPL match at the Eden Gardens here on Sunday.
The win was KKR’s fifth of the tournament, bringing them back to the second spot. RCB’s misery continued despite an enthralling fightback as they firmly remained at the bottom of the table.
It seems 200 is the par score in the IPL now. And, as it has been proven of late, even that may not be enough. KKR almost learnt it the hard way twice in a row. Having failed to defend 223 a few days ago against Rajasthan Royals, they all but did a repeat act after scoring 222 for six on Sunday.
The only thing that Starc did right in the entire match was to hold a low return catch off Karn in that dramatic over, which proved the decisive moment.
Virat Kohli’s wry smile in the dugout told another so-near-yet-so-far story for RCB. And the relief, rather than the joy, in the KKR camp was quite evident on sweat-filled faces.
KKR opener Phil Salt hammered a 14-ball 48 and Shreyas Iyer scored a sensible half-century on the hot afternoon to lead KKR past the 200-run mark for the second time in a row.
However, a little-known Englishman and an Indian talent produced RCB’s resistance that would have given KKR the jitters. Will Jacks and Rajat Patidar threatened to take the game away with rocking half-centuries in their 102-run third-wicket stand, which came in just 48 balls.
1/8:Sai Kishore stars in Gujarat Titans' win over Punjab Kings
<p>Sai Kishore stars in Gujarat Titans' win over Punjab Kings </p>AFP
2/8:R Sai Kishore
<p>R Sai Kishore starred on a dominant day for the spinners as Gujarat Titans tamed Punjab Kings by three wickets for their fourth win in the 2024 IPL.</p>AFP
3/8:Prabhsimran Singh
<p>Punjab Kings made a brisk start in the powerplay but collapsed dramatically after Prabhsimran Singh's (35 off 21) dismissal triggered by a charge down the wicket.</p>AFP
4/8:Spin trio
<p>The spin trio of Sai Kishore (4/33), Rashid Khan (1/15), and Noor Ahmed (2/20) exposed an ill-equipped Punjab Kings with their guile to dismiss them for a below-par 142.</p>AFP
5/8:Shashank and Ashutosh fell cheaply
<p>The uncapped duo of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma fell cheaply, worsening Punjab's situation. </p>AFP
6/8:Shubman Gill
<p>Shubman Gill (35 off 29) and Sai Sudharsan (31 off 33) struggled with stroke-making, while Livingstone accounted for dangerous David Miller.</p>AFP
7/8:Liam Livingstone
<p>Liam Livingstone struck twice in the middle overs to keep Punjab Kings alive in the game, but didn't get much support from Harpreet Brar, who leaked 35 in his four overs.</p>AFP
8/8:Comfortable win
<p>Titans eventually recorded a comfortable win in 19.1 overs courtesy of a pressure-releasing cameo from Rahul Tewatia (36 not out off 16).</p>AFPThe partnership happened after Virat Kohli flattered to deceive, succumbing to almost a beamer from Harshit Rana. Replays showed the delivery would have passed at the waist level.
Jacks started the mayhem, treating veteran Starc with scant respect, taking 22 runs off the Aussie pacer in one over, which included three smashing sixes. In fact, that over, sixth of the innings, was when RCB would have started believing that they could do it. Their "yes, we can," moment.
However, KKR had their own tryst with self-belief in the 12th over when Andre Russell removed both Jacks and Patidar with his slow-medium stuff. The momentum was broken and there was light at the end of the tunnel.
It was a battle of nerves from there on and although Dinesh Karthik tried to do a Jos Buttler for RCB at the death, it is not the kind of innings that happens every day. Karn, however, came tantalizingly close.
Earlier, Salt started with a miss-hit six off Mohammad Siraj, but played some confident shots thereafter, which included giving Lockie Ferguson a rough welcome. The Englishman hammered the New Zealand pacer for 28 runs in his first over, and the KKR innings’ fourth, which had only fours and sixes. That effectively set up the tone for the innings.
The match will also be known for the fans’ dedication as even a heatwave with the temperature touching almost 42-degree Celsius, failing to keep them away. The attendance at 4.30pm had crossed 54,000 despite the Sun beating down like fire.
