Picture : BCCI
Kolkata Knight Riders made a memorable homecoming with an 81-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the TataIPL2023 match in Kolkata . After RCB Skipper Faf du Plessis decided to bowl first . KKR found themselves tottering for 89/5 before Shardul Thakur smashed the game changing fifty to turn things around at Eden Gardens.
Watching KKR from the stands was the team’s Superstar co-owner Shah Rukh Khan.
Thakur led a superb recovery with his 29-ball 68 to power his team to 204/7 . He found able support from Rinku Singh too. Singh and Thakur shared a vital 103-run wicket partnership off 47 balls with Rinku Singh (46 off 33).
RCB were foxed by the spin trio of Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine and debutant Suyash Sharma who shared eight wickets between themselves. As a result RCB slipped to a agonising 123 all-out in 17. 4 overs.
RCB were going great guns at 44 no loss in 25 balls in pursuit of the big chase before the Sunil Narine triggered the collapse, foxing Virat Kohli (21 off 18b) with a beauty in his 150th IPL match.
Chakravarthy then gave a double blow dismissing Glenn Maxwell (5) and Harshal Patel (0) in three balls before ending with splendid figures of 3.4-0-15-4. Skipper *Faf du Plessis fell for 23 . RCB chase was in a mess.
it was 19-year-old leg-spinner Suyash Sharma (4-0-30-3) who made a dream debut after being included as an impact player in place of Venkatesh Iyer.
The long-haired mystery spinner got two wickets in one over to have KKR reeling at 86/8.
Suyash got his maiden wicket when he deceived Anju Rawat (1) with a tossed up delivery and in space of three balls, he grabbed the prized-scalp of Dinesh Karthik (9) with a fuller delivery.
KKR spinners were all- over RCB in this encounter. And the KKR strategy of replacing Venkatesh Iyer with Suyash Sharma as the impact player worked wonders and it was the master- stroke at the end of the match.
RCB Impact Player: Anuj Rawat replaces Mohammed Siraj
KKR Impact Player: Suyash Sharma replaces Venkatesh Iyer
Match: IPL 2023, 9th Match
Venue: Kolkata | Date: April 06, 2023
