Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) started the second leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a nine-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in a one-sided match here on Monday.
Struggling to gain momentum in the first session, KKR bundled out RCB for 92 runs in 19 overs with excellent bowling from Russell (3 for nine) and Chakraborty (3 for 13). Two wickets were taken by Lokie Ferguson in 24 runs. The Bangalore team has lost wickets from time to time and the team has never looked for a chance to hit hundreds. With the exception of Devdutt Padikkal (22), none of the RCB batsmen crossed the 20-run line.
In response, Kolkata K Knight Riders registered a comfortable 94 for one in 10 overs thanks to an 82 run stand between opening Shubman Gill (48) and Venkatesh Iyer (41 not out). Gill played 34 balls with six fours and a six, while Iyer with 27 balls included seven fours and a six.
Chasing the target, Venkatesh Iyer and Shubham Gill got off to a good start for KKR. Iyer started his IPL career with two consecutive fours from Siraj and also hit debut-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga. Gill also hit two fours on fast bowler Kyle Jamieson. Iyer beat Jamieson for the first six games.
Gill welcomed Yuzvendra Chahal for two consecutive fours as KKR scored 56 runs in power play. Shubham Gill also hit six on Hasaranga. Gill, however, lost half-century by two runs when caught by Siraj off Chahal. Iyer, however, gave KKR the same victory with the help of three fours on this leg spinner.
After this, Padikkal and debutant Srikar India took the innings forward. Padikkal gave four runs to Ferguson and Krishna while Bharat gave four runs to Sunil Narine. However, Padikkal fell victim to Ferguson on the last ball of the power play. He handed the catch to wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik. At this time the team's score was 41 runs for two wickets.
Bharat also made 16 runs and was caught by Gill on the ball. AB de Villiers was bowled by russel in the very first ball as RCB posted 52 for four in the ninth over. After the power play, the RCB batsmen struggled to hit boundaries.
Meanwhile, KKR bowlers kept constant pressure on the strikers. Eoin Morgan returned leg-spinner Chakraborty in the 12th over and sent Glenn Maxwell (10) and Wanindu Hasaranga (00) first to the pavilion for a series of deliveries. Chakraborty also got Sachin Baby (07) caught by Nitish Rana in the next over.
Harshal Patel beat Sunil Narine by a boundary in the 15th over, which was the team's first boundary after the power play. In the next over, Kyle Jameson (04) was run out. Harshal (12) hit another boundary on Ferguson but this fast bowler bowled him. Russell ended RCB's innings by sending Mohammad Siraj (08) to the pavilion.