KOLKATA: Kolkata Knight Riders finally snapped their winless run in the ongoing IPL, edging past Rajasthan Royals by four wickets in a tense contest at Eden Gardens on Sunday.A sharp bowling effort, led by Varun Chakravarthy’s excellent 3 for 14, and well supported by Kartik Tyagi (3 for 22) and Sunil Narine (2 for 26), laid the platform for KKR to chase down Royals’ modest 155, though not without late nerves.KKR’s batting once again flirted with collapse. Openers Tim Seifert and Ajinkya Rahane fell for ducks — Rahane’s second in as many matches — while the middle-order continued to stutter. Cameron Green briefly threatened to steady the innings before his charge was halted by a sharp stumping, leaving the hosts playing catch-up yet again.At 70 for five, and staring at another disappointment, KKR found rescue from an unlikely alliance.Rinku Singh, who survived a simple early reprieve on eight, anchored the innings with an unbeaten 53, while Anukul Roy provided the late acceleration with a gutsy 29 not out. Their unbroken 76-run stand off 37 balls turned the match on its head when KKR were clearly staring down the barrel.Earlier, on a surface offering just enough assistance, KKR would have been satisfied after restricting Royals to a below-par total. Though the visitors negotiated the Powerplay without loss, their 62 for no wicket was modest by their own lofty standards.
Much of that was down to Narine’s early intervention. Introduced inside the first six overs as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal looked to break free, the Trinidadian not only checked the scoring rate but forced caution into an otherwise aggressive opening pair.Teenage sensation Sooryavanshi still emerged as Royals’ top scorer with a composed 46, an innings that stood out for its maturity more than fireworks. On a day demanding patience, the 15-year-old blended restraint with aggression, an unusual but impressive adjustment. His eventual dismissal — attempting a big heave off Varun — did little to detract from a knock that suggested growing game awareness.The day, however, belonged to Varun.It isn’t often that Varun’s celebrations grab attention, but his animated response after dismissing Royals skipper Riyan Parag, a jump, a clenched fist, a raw scream, stood out. It was his third wicket in his fourth over, and the release of emotion hinted at pressure shed after a quiet spell since the latter stages of the T20 World Cup.If Varun set it up, Kartik Tyagi finished it off. The pacer produced a decisive penultimate over, claiming three wickets in the 19th to derail any hope of a Royals late surge. For KKR, it was a much-needed win on a difficult road, a silver lining amid an otherwise dark horizon.Brief scores: Rajasthan Royals 155 for 9 in 20 overs (Jaiswal 39, Sooryavanshi 46; Chakaravarthy 3/14, Tyagi 3/22, Narine 2/26) lost to Kolkata Knight Riders 161 for 6 in 19.4 overs (Rinku 53*; R Jadeja 2/8) by four wkts.
