Kolkata- Kolkata Knight Riders, powered by a late onslaught from Andre Russell, registered the first 200-plus score of the season and edged past Sunrisers Hyderabad by a narrow margin of 4 runs in a thrilling encounter at Eden Gardens.
The much-anticipated return of Shreyas Iyer to the KKR playing XI couldn't quite spark a blazing start, with the hosts finding themselves at a precarious 51/4 after 7.3 overs. However, the stage was set for a familiar hero - Andre Russell. The Jamaican all-rounder unleashed a whirlwind knock, stitching together a crucial 81-run partnership with Rinku Singh to propel KKR to a formidable total of 208 runs. The SRH bowling attack, led by Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen, and skipper Pat Cummins, toiled hard but couldn't contain the Russell blitz.
Chasing a mammoth 209 for victory, SRH needed a special effort. While the task seemed daunting, the Orange Army showed fight. However, despite their valiant effort, they fell just short of the target, managing only 204 runs in their allotted 20 overs.
This win is a significant boost for KKR, especially with their talismanic captain Iyer back in the fold. For SRH, the loss will be a learning curve for their new leadership duo of Pat Cummins and Daniel Vettori.
