Jos Buttler’s heroic innings sealed a historic victory for Rajasthan Royals with a two-wicket win against KKR, achieving the highest successful run chase in the tournament’s history.
In the thrilling match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), RR’s skipper Sanju Samson opted to field after winning the toss. KKR’s opening duo, Phil Salt and Sunil Narine faced a tough challenge from RR’s bowlers early on. Salt departed in the fourth over after a remarkable catch by Avesh Khan off his own bowling.
However, Narine stabilized the innings and along with Angkrish Raghuvanshi, launched a counter-attack against RR’s bowlers. The duo’s aggressive batting took KKR past 100 runs within the first 10 overs. Narine then unleashed an onslaught on RR’s spinners, especially Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin, smashing a quick century off just 49 balls. His innings came to an end in the 18th over, courtesy of Trent Boult, having amassed a staggering 109 runs off 56 deliveries. KKR concluded their innings with an imposing total of 223 runs in 20 overs, setting a strong target for RR to chase.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) witnessed a promising start to their chase with Yashasvi Jaiswal’s aggressive batting. However, his dismissal was quickly followed by skipper Sanju Samson’s departure. Jos Buttler and Riyan Parag then led a spirited fightback, notching up 76 runs in the Powerplay.
RR hit a rough patch during the middle overs as wickets tumbled, affecting Buttler’s momentum. Rovman Powell injected much-needed power with a brisk cameo, setting the stage for Buttler’s heroics. Despite a limp, Buttler orchestrated a stunning comeback, deftly rotating strike and smashing a match-winning century. He guided RR to a nail-biting 2-wicket victory, equaling their own record for the highest successful run chase of 224 in the league’s history.
Last Updated on April 16, 2024
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