IPL 2024: KKR Holds His Nerve In A High Total Match

At Eden Gardens on Saturday, Heinrich Klaasen of Sunrisers Hyderabad came dangerously close to stealing the win from the host team, but Harshit Rana, 22, skillfully protected 12 off the last over to help Kolkata Knight Riders over the finish line in a thrilling last-ball match.

With momentum on their side and 13 needed from the last over, the Sunrisers got off to a fantastic start in the 20th over when Klaasen pulled Harshit for six over square leg. But in the following five balls, he sealed the deal with two singles, two wickets, and one dot.

Starting the season with a win at home! ✅ pic.twitter.com/1cgaWWPrvH

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 23, 2024

Earlier, Sunrisers were silent throughout the middle overs thanks to Sunil Narine’s 1 for 19 in four overs on a batting-friendly surface with zero boundaries. His economy of 4.75 was a glaring anomaly on a surface where bowlers of all skill levels went for plenty. With three overs left and Sunrisers needing to score sixty in eighteen balls, it had given KKR the advantage. However, Klaasen’s 29-ball 63, which featured eight sixes, forced Sunrisers to retake the lead.

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Ramandeep Singh, Phil Salt, and Andre Russell were also appreciated by KKR. With the help of Salt’s 40-ball 54 in his KKR debut and Ramandeep Singh’s 17-ball 35, KKR recovered from a 51 for 4 deficit in the first innings. Russell finished the KKR innings with seven sixes in his twenty-five-ball, undefeated sixty-four.