Rajasthan Royals (RR) backed their second victory of the campaign in Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai by defeating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by six wickets in the current IPL 2021 on Saturday.
KKR was in trouble right from the start, when they were sent to bat first. The Eoin Morgan-led team kept on loosing wickets at same pace, and by the end of the 20 overs, KKR could manage a total of 133 runs at a loss of 9 wickets on the scoreboard.
As Chris Morris helped restrict KKR to 133 for 9, Captain Sanju Samson gained his confidence and curbed his attaching instincts while playing maturely in the innings. Samson (42*) along with Shivam Dube (22) and David Miller(24*) helped settle down the target of 134 runs to victory leaving seven balls to spare. Chasing 134 RR opener Yashasvi Jaiswal received an early reprieve, as Shubham Gill dropped a sitter off Shivam Mavi at backward point in the first over of the innings. For consecutive fours Jaiswal responded with cracking to Pat Cummins.
In the very same over, Jos Buttler was struck by Cummins on the helmet when he missed an attempted pull. Fortunately, Buttler was not seriously injured but was back in the dugout soon thereafter. Varun Chakarvarthy then trapped Buttler (5) leg with a rapid and flat delivery which the batsman missed completely. Samson came in without a worry and cracked two boundaries in the same over, as overpitched deliveries were dispatched through extra-cover and cover, respectively. However, Shivam Mavi kept KKR on the line by having Jaiswal caught for 22 after the batsman thumped an extra four over extra cover the previous delivery.
Featuring in a third-wicket stand of 45, Samson and Shivam Dube (22) steadied their partnership for RR, where the highlight was when Samson hit a six of Pat Cummins ball over midwicket. However, the partnership ended when Chakarvarty dismissed Shivam Dube at the score of 85 runs at the last ball of 11th over. In fact, Gill saved Rahul Tewatia while fielding on the midway boundary, where he flicked the ball away after taking the catch. However,the replays indicated that he hadn-t crossed the ropes and could have help onto it at the very first attempt. But, it was like that kind of a day for Gill.
Tewatia couldn-t believe his good fortune, though perishing to Prasidh Krishna, top-edging a bouncer to long leg.
Shivam Mavi dismissed David Miller at an LBW, but used a review to overturn the decision successfully, as the ball had clearly pitched outside leg. There were no further setbacks, as RR won the game with seven balls to spare.