A thrilling century by Jos Buttler, complemented by powerful cameos from Riyan Parag and Rovman Powell, propelled Rajasthan Royals (RR) to a nail-biting two-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Tuesday.
With this win, RR climbed to the top of the leaderboard, boasting six wins and one loss, totaling 12 points. KKR holds the second position with eight points, secured from four wins and two losses.
Chasing a formidable target of 224, Rajasthan Royals began their innings with promise. Yashasvi Jaiswal swiftly scored 19 off 9 balls before being dismissed by Harshit Rana, leaving RR at 22/1. Captain Sanju Samson then took to the crease, hitting a quick 12 off 8 balls but soon fell to Rana, pushing RR to 47/2.
The 50-run mark was achieved in just 4.5 overs. The explosive partnership in the powerplay between Riyan Parag and Jos Buttler saw them scoring 23 runs off Vaibhav Arora’s over, propelling RR to 76/2 with both batsmen setting a strong foundation.
Parag aggressively scored 34 off 14 balls before Rana claimed his wicket. By the 8.2-over mark, RR had reached 100 runs but soon found themselves at 100/4 with Dhruv Jurel dismissed by Sunil Narine.
Midway through the chase, RR stood at 109/4, with Buttler and Ravichandran Ashwin at the crease. Varun Chakravarthy’s pivotal 13th over saw the dismissal of both Ashwin and Shimron Hetmyer, further tightening the game as RR was reduced to 121/6.
Buttler, however, remained unshaken, crafting his innings meticulously to score a fighting fifty in 36 balls. He intensified his attack in the 15th over against Chakravarthy, driving RR to 145/6 alongside Rovman Powell.
Powell’s aggressive hitting fetched vital runs, but Narine dismissed him for 26 off 13 balls. Heading into the final stages, RR needed 46 runs from 18 balls, and Buttler shifted gears to dominate the chase.
With 28 runs required from the final two overs, Buttler unleashed a barrage of hits in the 19th over bowled by Harshit, dramatically reducing the target to just nine runs in the final over. Achieving his second century of the season in a spectacular fashion, Buttler sealed the win with a boundary off the last ball, concluding his majestic innings at 107* off 60 balls, adorned with nine fours and six sixes.
Narine and Chakravarthy were the standout bowlers for KKR, each taking two wickets. The earlier innings saw Sunil Narine scoring an explosive 109, setting a challenging target for RR. However, Buttler’s remarkable century ensured RR crossed the line, continuing their impressive run in the tournament.
