A stellar century partnership between Will Jacks and Rajat Patidar was not enough to steer Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to victory as they narrowly missed out by just one run against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens on Sunday.
With this cliffhanger win, KKR ascended to the second spot on the leaderboard, boasting five wins and two losses, accumulating a total of 10 points. In stark contrast, RCB lingered at the bottom, having secured only two points from eight games with a solitary win.
The chase of 223 runs commenced with RCB openers Virat Kohli and Faf Du Plessis setting a robust pace. Kohli, in particular, unleashed a barrage of boundaries against Mitchell Starc and Harshit Rana, signaling strong intentions from the get-go.
However, the game’s complexion changed dramatically when Kohli, after smashing 18 runs off seven deliveries, was controversially dismissed by Rana. The on-field umpire’s decision to give him out was contentious as the ball seemed to have been delivered above waist height. Despite protests and a third umpire review, the decision stood, leaving Kohli visibly frustrated as he departed the field.
The downfall of Faf Du Plessis followed soon after, caught by Venkatesh Iyer off Varun Chakravarthy for a mere seven runs, plunging RCB to 35/2.
Then came the formidable duo of Will Jacks and Rajat Patidar, who reignited RCB’s hopes. Jacks was particularly aggressive, plundering Starc for 28 runs in the sixth over, propelling RCB to 74/2 at the close of the powerplay.
Jacks swiftly reached a half-century in 29 balls, followed by Patidar who matched the feat with equally aggressive batting, particularly against Sunil Narine. Their partnership soared past a hundred runs in just 47 balls, setting a robust foundation.
Their stand was eventually broken by Andre Russell, who dismissed both batsmen in quick succession; Jacks for 55 and Patidar for 52, leaving RCB reeling at 138/4.
Despite this, the middle order, including Dinesh Karthik and Suyash Prabhudessai, attempted to keep the momentum, but the mounting run rate in the closing overs proved too challenging.
As the final over approached, RCB needed six runs from the last three balls. Karn Sharma struck two critical sixes, but his efforts were in vain as he and Lockie Ferguson fell in successive deliveries, culminating in RCB finishing just short at 221/9.
Andre Russell, with his crucial 3/25, emerged as the standout bowler for KKR, ably supported by Narine and Rana who each claimed two wickets.
Earlier in the day, KKR, batting first, rode on explosive innings from Shreyas Iyer and Philip Salt to post a daunting 222/6. The duo, along with vital contributions down the order, set the stage for their team’s defending effort, which, despite being pushed to the brink, managed to secure a nail-biting win over RCB.
