47th match, KKR vs RR, IPL 2022: Kolkata Knight Riders won by 7 wickets
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) returned to winning ways in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Monday at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, defeating Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 7 wickets. As KKR secured a decisive seven-wicket win, Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh forged a match-winning partnership that reversed the game's direction. With the score on 153, KKR lost an early wicket in the form of Aaron Finch, who edged the ball onto the stumps, giving Kuldeep Sen his first wicket. After Baba Indrajith was caught at fine leg by Ashwin, Prasidh Krishna took the second wicket for RR. At the end of the powerplay, KKR led 32-2.
After the next three overs yielded only 18 runs, RR spinners Ravi Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal applied pressure to KKR captain Shreyas Iyer and Nitish Rana. At the midway point, KKR were 59-2 until Rana relieved the pressure with two fours and a six off Ravi Ashwin. Shreyas Iyer hit a six off Chahal before being caught behind off Boult's bowling for a soft dismissal. KKR needed 46 runs off the final five overs until new batsman Rinku Singh hit Kuldeep Sen for a six. The equation had been reduced to 31 out of 18 balls. The fifty partnership was up for the fourth wicket when Rinku Singh scored three fours.
With 1 required off the final over, KKR chased down the score, and Rana finished the game with a maximum. RR, who were given the opportunity to bat first, made one change in their lineup: Karun Nair replaced Daryl Mitchell in the eleven. RR lost an early wicket when Umesh Yadav dismissed Devdutt Padikkal after taking a catch off his own bowling. RR skipper Sanju Samson joined opener Jos Buttler in the powerplay, hitting three fours and a six as RR reached 38-1 after six overs.
With Samson doing the brunt of the hitting, the veteran duo stitched a 48-run stand for the second wicket. After Buttler was caught at long-on by Mavi, Tim Southee broke the stand. At the halfway point, RR had a 62/2 lead. With the bat, Samson led the attack with two exquisite fours, while at the other end, Karun Nair rotated the strike. In the 14th over, Nair attempted to clear the ropes, but the batter was caught by Rinku Singh off the bowling of Anukul Roy. As RR passed the 100-run milestone in the 14th over, Samson, who was joined by Riyan Parag, was up for fifty.
As KKR fought back, Narine only gave up 3 runs in the 16th over. After both batters were caught in the deep, Tim Southee and Shivam Mavi removed Samson and Parag, respectively. Shimron Hetmyer smashed two sixes in the penultimate over, allowing 20 runs to be scored. As RR posted 152-5 in the opening innings, the left-handed batter added another four to the total.
Brief Scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 158-3 (Nitish Rana 48*, Rinku Singh 42*; Trent Boult 1-25) beat Rajasthan Royals 152/5 (Sanju Samson 54, Shimron Hetmyer 27*; Tim Southee 2-46) by 7 wickets.
