Picture Credit: Twitter
Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders treated their fans with the most thrilling encounter on the eve of the 14th anniversary of the Indian Premier League. The contest brought the best out of a couple of players from both teams, making the match one of the most exciting clashes of the season. After Shreyas Iyer invited the Royals to bat first, Englishman Jos Butler and Devdutt Padikkal came heavily on Kolkata bowlers as together both the batters added 97-runs for the first wicket.
While Padikkal returned to the pavilion soon after, Buttler stayed on the crease and well-capitalized on his incredible form into the second century of the season. Due to Buttler's 103 and Shimron Hetmyer's 26 in 13 balls, the Royals posted 217 on board as the target for Kolkata Knight Riders.
In response, Aaron Finch (58 off 28) and Shreyas Iyer (85 off 51) held the fort for Kolkata and tried their best to chase down the target comprehensively. But, Prasidh Krishna surprised to inform Aaron Finch in the 9th over, while Yuzvendra Chahal hunted down Shreyas Iyer towards the end of the second innings. Chahal proved his supremacy once again as he completed his fifer and achieved a hattrick. Check out highlights from the game.
Jos Buttler's 103 in 61 balls:
The Englishman has been on a mission ever since he entered the tournament. In the game against Kolkata, Buttler unleashed all the weapons in his arsenal as he left the bowlers with a new option but scratching their heads. He hit his second century of the season with the help of five maximums and nine boundaries. His innings helped the Royals to post a huge 217 total onboard.
107 run partnership between Aaron Finch and Shreyas Iyer
After Buttler's innings, cricket fans were treated superb run chase by Aaron Finch and skipper Shreyas Iyer. Sunil Narine's dismissal on the first ball brought Shreyas way early in the game, and sensing the gravity of the situation; he stood tall in front of Royal's bowlers. Both the batter added 107 runs on board in just nine overs before Prasidh Krishna hunted down Finch.
Yuzvendra Chahal's hattrick & five wicket haul:
Chahal is undoubtedly one of the best leg-spinners globally, and once again, he proved his supremacy by achieving a rare milestone in the 30th game of IPL 2022. Nitish Rana became the first victim of Chahal in the 13th over as he trapped the batter leg before the wicket. Chahal's first three overs were not according to his plans as he conceded too many runs, but his best came in the 17th over of the second innings. He dismissed four of Kolkata batters, including dangerous-looking Shreyas Iyer. Venkatesh Iyer became Chahal's first victim in the first ball, the second ball went for a dot, and the rest three balls packed the bags of Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Mavi and Pat Cummins, respectively. Chahal is well deserved purple cap holder at the moment, with 17 wickets under his belt.
A brief cameo from Umesh Yadav:
Chahal's lethal spell in the 17th over put Kolkata on the back foot, and the Royals were eying an easy win in the game. But veteran Umesh Yadav had different plans, and his execution shifted the momentum towards Kolkata. Umesh targetted Trent Boult in the 18th over and went for a maximum in the first ball he faced. He didn't stop there but added 20-run onboard in that over. 1 6 2 6 4 1 was the reading from the game. However, Yadav's cameo was not enough for Kolkata as debutant Obed McCoy bowled him in the fourth delivery of the 20th over.