The Kolkata Knight Riders’ diverse spin attack wrapped up the Rajasthan Royals to set up a seven-wicket win in the IPL.
They restricted the visitors for 160-8, which was easily run down with an over to go. Captain Dinesh Karthik provided the killer blow by smashing 42 off 23 balls, but he had been given a good foundation by Robin Uthappa (48 off 36) and Sunil Narine (35 off 25), who put on 69 in eight overs for the second wicket.
The Riders put the Royals in to bat, as is the norm in the IPL nowadays, and decided spin was the way to go. It was a good decision, even though Ajinkya Rahane, believing attack was the best form of defence, smashed 36 off 19 balls in an opening stand of 54 in seven overs.
D’Arcy Short was more subdued and managed barely a run a ball for 44, but in the meantime, the spinners wove a web which tied up the Royals.
The off-breaks of Nitish Rana dismissed the two openers at a personal cost of 11 runs; leg breaker Piyush Chawla ended with 1-18 off his four overs and Kuldeep Yadav, who conceded just six runs in his first two overs of left-arm chinamen, closed with 1-23, which included a six by Ben Stokes off his penultimate ball.
Then they unleashed the pacemen, with Tom Curran taking 2-19 as the Royals, who have played the same XI in all matches – again ignoring Heinrich Klaasen – struggled to 160-8.
Jos Buttler’s 24 was the next best score.
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