KKR was in trouble, but a remarkable performance from Shardul Thakur enabled them escape and helped them control nearly all of the remaining match.
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have successfully regrouped after their loss to the Punjab Kings in Mohali in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. KKR defeated the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 81 runs at their home field, the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
While the game appeared to be going the way of RCB at first, particularly after they won the toss and reduced KKR to 89/5 inside the 12-over mark, a spectacular performance from Shardul Thakur—possibly one that will be remembered for some time to come—helped KKR come back into the game and how.
He was was dismissed for 68 off 29 balls in the final over, but by that point he had given their dugout hope that they could triumph. With Rinku Singh, who hit 46 runs off of 33 balls, he formed a sixth-wicket partnership of 103 runs. None of the top order batsmen, with the exception of Rahmanullah Gurbaz (57 off 44), contributed, but Shardul and Rinku’s effort was sufficient to lead the team to 204/7.