Royal Challengers Bangalore registered a massive 82-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on October 12.

RCB captain Virat Kohli had opted to bat, reasoning that the pitch will be slower in the second half.

Man of the match AB de Villiers and Kohli had a 100-run partnership that steered the side to 194 for two. The South African batsman played an aggressive 73 off 33 balls (five boundaries and six sixes) while Kohli hit 33 off 28 balls.

This was followed by RCB spinners tightening the chase. Washington Sundar (2/20) and Yuzvendra Chahal (1/12) gave KKR a hard time and they could never really score on a sluggish wicket. The success of the spinners was partly down to the tiring pitches and the absence of grass.

For KKR, Shubhman Gill topscored with 34 off 25 balls, and the team finished at 112 for nine.
Rahul Tripathi, who had played brilliant innings against Chennai and Delhi, was shuffled to the lower-middle order, this time to accommodate IPL debutant Tom Banton at the top. Banton could make only 8 off 12 balls. Tripathi batted at No. 7 and by the time he came in, the game was up for the Knight Riders.

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Kings XI Punjab lost to Kolkata Knight Riders at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on October 10 night with a fine margin of two runs. This was Punjab’s fifth straight defeat and sixth overall leaving them at the bottom of the table.

Requiring 14 from the last over, KXIP’s Glenn Maxwell tried to save his team with a few boundaries but they fell short by 2 runs.

Captain KL Rahul anchored the Punjab innings with 74 from 58 deliveries (six boundaries). It was his third half-century of the season and 19th in his IPL career. Mayank Agarwal scored 56 from 39 balls.

Earlier, KKR captain Dinesh Karthik and Shubnam Gill scored half-centuries to help the team post 164 for 6. It was Karthik’s first 50 of the season, while Gill scored his second 50 this edition. That saw the two-time winners.

Man of the Match Karthik’s 58 came from 29 balls (eight boundaries and two sixes), while Gill’s 57 came from 47 deliveries and had five boundaries.

For KKR, Prasid Krishna took three wickets and Sunil Narine two. Narine however was reported for suspected illegal bowling action. The Trinidadian off-spinner, as per the rules, will now be placed on the Warning List but will be permitted to continue to bowl in the tournament.

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Kolkata Knight Riders registered a surprise 10-run victory over Chennai Super Kings at the IPL match in Abu Dhabi on October 7.

Chasing a target of 168, Chennai looked set to taste victory with Shane Watson (50 off 40 balls) and Ambati Rayudu (30 off 27) at the crease. However, Rayudu’s dismissal when the score was 99/1 in 12.1 overs set off a cascade of wickets from the Chennai side. Watson, who gave a sterling performance in the previous match, was the next to go.

Kolkata bowlers especially Sunil Narine put a brake on the Chennai innings. CSK failed to keep up with the required rate and could come up only with 157-5.

Earlier, Chennai bowlers had restricted Kolkata to 167/9. Dwayne Bravo picked up three wickets for CSK while Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur and Sam Curran took two each.

New opener Rahul Tripathi (81 off 51 balls) earned the Player of the Match award.

KKR’s celebrity focus

Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner and Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has been in attendance at his team’s matches including at the Zayed Cricket Stadium. He watched alongside his son Aryan and daughter Suhana his team put up a commendable performance.

Meanwhile, there has been some speculations about KKR batsman Shubman Gill and Sachin Tendulkar’s daughter Sara, a 21-year-old graduate in medicine, being romantically entangled on account of her instagram posts praising his performance.

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In Match 16 played at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on October 3, Prithvi Shaw and captain Shreyas Iyer helped Delhi Capitals move up the Indian Premier League table with an 18-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders.

Shaw (66 off 41 balls) and Iyer (88 not out from 38 balls) followed by Rishabh Pant (38 off 17 balls) helped DC register 228-4, which is the highest total of this IPL season. Kolkata could reach only 210-8, even though Eoin Morgan (44) and Rahul Tripathi (36) tried to provide a lifeline with their quickfire shots.

However, South African fast-bowler Anrich Nortje (3-33) saved the match for DC. Now Capitals have won three of four matches it has played while Kolkata has won two of four games.

Iyer, who smashed six sixes and seven fours was adjudged Player of the Match. Together with Pant, he accumulated 77 runs in the final five overs. Delhi had three half-century partnerships in the start of their innings.

The Knight Riders lost Nitish Rana (58) and captain Dinesh Karthik in successive balls of Harshal Patel (2/34) in the 13th over.

England limited overs’ cricket captain Eoin Morgan’s rapid-fire 44 off 18 deliveries raised hopes, but Nortje felled him.

Opener Sunil Narine (3) was another casualty to Nortje’s bowling. Unfortunately, Narine has made only 27 runs in all four innings at the tournament.

South African paceman Kagiso Rabada got the wicket of Andre Russell who was out for 13. Rabada is the highest wicket-taker in this IPL season with eight scalps along with Mohammed Shami of Kings XI Punjab and Yuzvendra Chahal of Royal Challengers Bangalore.

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Match 12 at Dubai cricket stadium on September 30 saw Kolkata Knight Riders beat Rajasthan Royals by 37 runs. This was KKR’s second win in the season while Royals tasted their first loss.

RR captain Steve Smith won the toss and sent Dinesh Karthik’s KKR to bat. Vice-captain Eoin Morgan took KKR to 174/6 in 20 overs. He remained unbeaten on 34. Opener Shubman Gill made 47 off 34 balls and Andre Russel 24.

English pacer Jofra Archer was the most successful RR bowler, taking two wickets while conceding only 18 runs.

Steve Smith was dismissed by KKR Pat Cummins early on in 175-run chase. Tom Curran’s half century was not enough to see the Royals through. RR were restricted to 137/9 in 20 overs.

Youngster Shivam Mavi who dismissed the in-form Sanju Samson and the dangerous Jos Buttler won the Player of the match for his tight spell (2/20).

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Kolkata Knight Riders registered their first IPL victory on September 26 with a seven-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad at Abu Dhabi. Chasing a meagre 143, they reached their target with two overs to spare.

KKR opener Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 70 came from 62 deliveries and was studded with five boundaries and two sixes, while England captain Eoin Morgan made an unbeaten 42 off 29 balls with three boundaries and two sixes. Together they put 92 runs for the fourth wicket.

Gill, who was adjudged man of the match, scored his fifth IPL half-century.

After electing to bat, SRH could cobble up only a below-par total of 142 for 4 in 20 overs. No.3 batsman Manish Pandey’s half-century (51 from 38 balls) went in vain. Opener and captain David Warner made 36, while keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha scored 30.
SRH, a former IPL champion, is now the only team without a win so far.

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The world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, lit up in purple and gold to wish team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) good luck ahead of their first IPL match on September 23 against Mumbai Indians. The LED display had the faces of the KKR team members including its captain Dinesh Karthik, and played their anthem.

However, luck was elusive as the team lost to Mumbai Indians by 49 runs in the match at the Abu Dhabi cricket stadium. Captain Rohit Sharma’s opening knock of 80 off 54 balls steered MI to a convincing victory.Rohit’s knock included six sixes and three fours.

Rohit’s90-run second-wicket stand with Suryakumar Yadav (47) frustrated the Knight Riders. Next came Saurabh Tiwary (21) and Hardik Pandya (18) who helped MI reach 195-5 in 20 overs.

Kolkata could post only 146-9 in reply, way short of their target.Jasprit Bumrah (2-32) dismissed KKR’sstar batsmen Andre Russell (11) and Eoin Morgan (16).Russell and Morgan seemed capable of resuscitating KKR, which had slipped to 77-4, back Bumrah broke up their partnership in the 16th over.

Trent Boult, James Pattinson and Rahul Chahar also finished with two wickets each in an all-round effort from Mumbai’s bowling team.

MI has thus rebounded from the opening loss to Chennai Super Kings.

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