Chasing KKR’s 222/6, RCB were all out for 221 in 20 overs, thereby losing their seventh game in eight matches in IPL 2024.

Kolkata: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) regained their second spot on the points table with their thrilling one-run win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in a high-octane IPL 2024 clash on Sunday at the Eden Gardens. With this win, KKR now have five triumphs in seven games and climbed to second spot with 10 points, two behind leaders Rajasthan Royals. On the other hand, this was RCB’s sixth loss on the trot, and seventh in eight matches, as their campaign is as good as over, lying on 10th with just two points. On the other hand, despite scoring 10 runs on the day, KKR all-rounder Sunil Narine entered the top 4 in the list for Orange Cap with 286 runs from seven games. Virat Kohli continues to lead.

Meanwhile, KKR’s win was no less than a heart-stopping victory. Karn Sharma’s scarcely believable last-over assault on Mitchell Starc gave RCB a glimmer of hope but KKR kept their nerves to eke out a dramatic win off the last ball. RCB required 21 runs off the last over bowled by left-arm pacer Starc while chasing a daunting 223-run target set by KKR. The result seemed a foregone conclusion with Karn and Mohammed Siraj at the crease, but the former nearly turned the match on its head.

Karn, a leg-spinner with no real pedigree with the bat, hammered three sixes off Starc to reduce the margin to three runs off two balls. But Starc redeemed himself taking a return catch to dismiss Karn (20, 7b, 3×6) and Lockie Ferguson was run out off the last ball as RCB ended up at 222 all out in 20 overs.

However, in a match with more twists and turns than a hilly road, it was KKR who first snatched the initiative making 222/6 around opener Phil Salt’s aggressive 14-ball 48 and skipper Shreyas Iyer’s composed 36-ball 50. But RCB were not bogged down by the imposing nature of their chase.

Will Jacks (55, 32b; 4×4, 5×6) and Rajat Patidar (52; 23b, 3×4, 5×6) laid a fine foundation through a 102-run alliance for the third wicket that came off just 48 balls. But from 137/2, RCB soon slipped to 155/6 with Andre Russell inflicting a double blow dismissing both Jacks and Russell inside three balls with his clever variation of slower balls.

Sunil Narine (2/34) also claimed two wickets in his final over but Dinesh Karthik kept their hopes alive in a splendid partnership with Impact Sub Suyash Prabhudesai. Returning to bowl in the penultimate over, Russell dismissed Karthik with a slower ball to make the equation tougher for RCB — 21 runs off six balls.