Put in to bat, the Knight Riders started off their innings with a bang, with opener Jason Roy smashing a tremendous half-century, scoring 56 runs off 29 balls, including 5 sixes. Skipper Nitish Rana also played a crucial role with 48 runs off 21 balls featuring 4 sixes. Other batters chipped in with some useful contributions as KKR finished at 200/5 in 20 overs.
For the Challengers, ace Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga was the most successful bowler, taking 2 wickets for 24 runs in his 4 overs. Vijaykumar Vyshak also shined with the ball and bagged a couple of scalps.
In response, RCB got off to a decent start, with stand-in captain Virat Kohli leading his side from the front and scoring 54 runs off 37 balls. However, none of the other batters could contribute significantly, and RCB lost wickets at regular intervals.
Mahipal Lomror‘s 34 runs off 18 balls and Dinesh Karthik’s 22 runs off 18 balls were the only other notable contributions from RCB’s batting lineup. Eventually, the hosts only managed to score 179/8 in their 20 overs, falling short of the target by 21 runs.
For KKR, mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy was their pick of the bowlers, picking up a sensational three-wicket haul while conceding only 27 runs in his quota of 4 overs. Suyash Sharma also bowled well, taking 2 wickets for 30 runs in his 4 overs.
Here is how Twitter reacted:
Well done @KKRiders what a win . Top knock captain @NitishRana_27 and Varun superb bowling @chakaravarthy29️
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) April 26, 2023
For latest cricket news & updates, visit CricketTimes.com.