Cricket Highlights, 11 May: IPL 2023 (Match 56) – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals (Match 56) – Highlights

It was only a matter of time for Yuzvendra Chahal to claim the record. This leg spinner of Rajasthan Royals (RR) has become the highest wicket-taker of the IPL by taking 4 wickets in yesterday’s match. Then Yashasvi Jaiswal set the record for the fastest fifty in IPL. The Royals blew away hosts Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens on a record-making night for the duo.

The Royals crossed the target of 150 runs set by KKR with 41 balls and 9 wickets in hand. Jaiswal smashed 12 fours and 5 sixes to play an unbeaten innings of 98 runs off 47 balls. Captain Sanju Samson was unbeaten on 48 runs off 29 balls hitting 2 fours and 5 sixes.

Both teams started the game with an equal 10 points from 11 matches. However, the trajectories of the two teams have been reversed—the Knight Riders had won 3 of their last 4 matches and the Royals had 5 losses in their last 6 matches. Even as RR came out of that losing circle, KKR’s playoff equation became tougher.

Chasing the target, Jaiswal took on Nitish Rana in the first over. The Royals’ opener scored 26 runs in that over from the Knight Riders skipper. Jaiswal set the record for scoring the highest runs in the first over in the IPL without extras.

Earlier in the history of IPL, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) had the highest number of runs in the first over. They put up 27 runs in the first over against Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2011. But 7 runs came from extras in that over. Once in 2013 KKR took 26 runs against MI, there was an extra run too. But this time, Jaiswal’s 26 runs did not have a single extra run.

KKR managed to pick up RR’s only wicket in the second over as Jos Buttler returned to the dressing room getting run out. But that wicket did not have any impact on Jaiswal’s batting. He scored a total of 13 balls to prove that he is in flying form. This batsman from Uttar Pradesh has set the record for the fastest fifty in the history of IPL by picking up his half-century from 13 balls.

Before Jaiswal, KL Rahul had the record for the fastest half-century in 14 balls. He made that record against Punjab Kings in 2018. Pat Cummins also scored a 14-ball half-century in 2022.

Even after the fifty, Jaiswal’s brilliance did not diminish. There was a chance to own the record for the fastest century. However, this batsman was focused on taking the team to the port of victory by responsible batting. In the end, Jaiswal and Samson’s unbroken partnership of 121 runs from 69 balls took the team to the verge of victory.

After losing the toss KKR’s openers got off to a fairly good start to bat, though both were dismissed in the powerplay. Both returned with two excellent catches. Jason Roy (10) was caught at deep square leg by Shimron Hetmyer, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (18) at mid-off by Sandeep Sharma. Trent Boult was the bowler in both cases. As a result, KKR scored 37 runs at the end of 6 overs.

Gurbaz hit Sandeep for two consecutive sixes in the fourth over, but KKR had to wait another 29 balls to get the next boundary. Venkatesh Iyer, who scored 10 runs off the first 20 balls, signaled to come out of the shell by hitting two consecutive sixes in the tenth over bowled by Ravichandran Ashwin.

KKR also hinted at increasing the run rate. In the very next over, skipper Nitish (22) turned into another great catch by Hetmyer off Yuzvendra Chahal. With this wicket, Chahal surpassed Dwayne Bravo (183) to become the highest wicket-taker in IPL.

Andre Russell couldn’t do much, but Venkatesh was trying to increase the scoring rate. But he became Chahal’s second victim scoring 57 runs off 42 balls in the 17th over, and KKR also lost their way from there.

In the same over, Chahal sent off Shardul Thakur (1) to the dressing room and scalped the wicket of Rinku Singh (16) as he came to bowl his next over. KKR lost 4 more wickets to add just 22 runs in the last 4 overs. In the end, KKR managed to score 149 runs by losing 8 wickets.

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals Scoreboard

Kolkata Knight Riders – 149/8 (20.0)

Rajasthan Royals – 151/1 (13.1)

Result – Rajasthan Royals won by 9 wickets

Player of the match – Yashasvi Jaiswal

Yashasvi Jaiswal

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals Playing XIs