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Venkatesh Iyer silenced his critics in style, hammering a match-winning 60 off 29 balls to propel Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a commanding 80-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL on Thursday.
Youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi (50 off 32 balls, 5×4, 2×6) provided stability in an 81-run stand with captain Ajinkya Rahane (38 off 27 balls), setting a solid foundation. The late fireworks came courtesy of Iyer and *Rinku Singh (32 off 17 balls)**, who stitched together a blistering 91-run partnership off just 41 balls to push KKR to 200/6—their highest total of the season.
Arora, Chakravarthy lead KKR`s bowling onslaught
KKR’s bowling attack wasted no time in dismantling SRH’s much-hyped batting lineup. Vaibhav Arora set the tone with 3/29 in four overs, dismissing Travis Head (4) and Ishan Kishan (2) in quick succession.
Harshit Rana struck early, removing Abhishek Sharma (2) as SRH slumped to 9/3 in 2.1 overs. The wickets kept tumbling with contributions from Andre Russell (1/28) and Sunil Narine (1/30), leaving SRH gasping at 66/5 at the halfway mark.
Varun Chakravarthy (3/22 in 4 overs) wrapped up the innings clinically, taking two wickets in two balls as SRH crumbled to 120 all out in just 16.4 overs.
SRH’s struggles continue as KKR bounce back
The win marked a crucial turnaround for the defending champions, who bounced back after losing two of their first three matches. KKR will now prepare to face Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday.
For SRH, the nightmare run continued with their third consecutive defeat. They now return home to take on Gujarat Titans on Sunday, desperately seeking redemption.
Key moments from the match
- Powerplay Woes: KKR’s new-look opening pair struggled again as Quinton de Kock (1) and Narine (7) departed early after Pat Cummins opted to bowl first.
- Rahane & Raghuvanshi Steady the Ship: The duo countered early movement, with Rahane breaking free with back-to-back sixes off Shami and Cummins.
- Raghuvanshi’s Classy Fifty: Showcased elegant strokeplay, including a stunning reverse hit past backward point. He reached fifty off 30 balls before falling to a diving catch.
- Mendis’ Impressive Debut: The Sri Lankan bowled both left-arm spin and off-spin in the same over, a rare feat in the IPL, but was surprisingly underutilized.
- Iyer & Rinku’s Late Assault: Boundaries dried up for 16 balls before Iyer broke free, smashing Simarjeet Singh and Cummins in the death overs.
- Cummins` Tactical Missteps: Opted against using spin despite variable bounce, raising questions about his bowling strategy.
(With PTI inputs)
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