In a record-breaking match at the Eden Gardens, Rajasthan Royals climbed to number three on the points table in the IPL 2023 with a big 9-wicket victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Thursday.
Winning the toss and electing to field first, Rajasthan Royals started strong with their pace attack restricting the scoring opportunities for KKR openers Jason Roy and Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Trent Boult’s magnificent catch near the ropes removed Gurbaz, and the powerplay belonged to RR.
However, KKR’s Nitish Rana and Venkatesh Iyer started to rebuild and upped the ante with a vital partnership. They were at 76/2 at the halfway point of the match when Yuzvendra Chahal ended their partnership and went on to record the most IPL wickets ever taken.
Venkatesh Iyer continued his fearless batting display, reaching his half-century, but it was Chahal who continued to shine, dismissing Iyer and Shardul Thakur to finish with a four-wicket haul.
KKR vs RR match highlights –
Chasing 150 to win, Rajasthan Royals got off to an explosive start with Yashasvi Jaiswal hammering 26 runs off the very first over.
Although Jos Buttler was dismissed without contributing, Andre Russell’s superb direct hit gave KKR the initial breakthrough, and Jaiswal never looked back and proved unstoppable with the bat. He notched the fastest fifty ever in the history of IPL and remained unbeaten on 98*.
RR skipper Sanju Samson also joined the party and was dealing in boundaries as they moved to 78/1 after 6 overs and completed the chase with more than 6 overs to spare. The Jaiswal-Samson duo stitched a hundred-run stand for the second wicket in just 56 balls, and Rajasthan Royals registered a comprehensive 9-wicket victory in Kolkata.
With this win, Rajasthan Royals moved to number three on the points table, while Kolkata Knight Riders slipped to sixth place.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was awarded Player of the Match for his explosive innings, which included 11 fours and 5 sixes. The Rajasthan Royals will look to continue their winning momentum as they take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore in their next game.
Rajasthan Royals delivered an all-around performance to secure a well-deserved victory against Kolkata Knight Riders. Yuzvendra Chahal’s outstanding spell and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s blistering batting display helped RR break several records and clinch a crucial win.
Also Read: IPL 2023: 3 Reasons Why Yashasvi Jaiswal Can Win The Orange Cap
