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After half-centuries of Thakur and Gurbaj, spinners shine, KKR won by 81 runs

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) thrashed Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 81 runs in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match here on Thursday thanks to half-centuries from Rahmanullah Gurbaz (57 runs) and Shardul Thakur (68 runs) and spinners (nine wickets). Defeated by run. Thakur’s 103-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Rinku Singh (46 runs) helped KKR post a mammoth 204 for seven.

Then KKR did not allow RCB to build any partnership by trapping their spinners Varun Chakraborty (4/15), Sunil Narine (2/16) and Suyash Sharma (3/30) in the spin, which helped the team in 17.4 overs. Got reduced to 123 runs. ‘Impact player’ Suyyash Sharma impressed on debut. The leg-spinner from Delhi took two wickets in his second over as RCB were 86 for six in the 13th over and were on the brink of a big defeat with only a formality left.

Earlier, Virat Kohli (21 runs) and Faf Duplesey (23 runs) got RCB off to a good start. Kohli hits the very first ball for a four. But both were bowled in the same manner in the fifth and sixth overs respectively. Narine uprooted Kohli’s off stump which was celebrated by the spectators. Mystery spinner Chakraborty got his team another crucial wicket in the form of Duplesey. With this, the team’s score in the powerplay was 50 runs for two wickets. Chakraborty, showing the magic of his spin, got rid of Glenn Maxwell (05) and Harshal Patel (00) in the eighth over, increasing the problem of RCB.

Shahbaz Ahmed was then dismissed trying to sweep Narine’s delivery, leaving RCB at 61 for five in nine overs. Only one wicket remained in the name of the fast bowler in the match, that of Michael Bracewell (19 runs) who was dismissed by Thakur. At the same time, the century partnership for the sixth wicket in 47 balls between KKR Thakur and Rinku reached close to 200 runs while the score was 89 for five in the 12th over. Thakur, playing the role of a troubleshooter, hit nine fours and three sixes in his 29-ball innings and scored his maiden half-century in the IPL.

Apart from these three batsmen, none of the KKR players reached double digits. Gurbaj faced 44 balls which was studded with six fours and three sixes. Rinku also played well with Thakur, hitting two fours and three sixes in 33 balls, including a six of 101 metres.

For RCB, David Willey (one maiden, two wickets for 16 runs) and Karn Sharma (two wickets for 26 runs) gave double blows to KKR in one over but the team’s bowlers could not control Thakur’s innings. After being invited to bat, Gurbaj and Venkatesh Iyer (03) walked out to open the innings at their home ground. Bollywood star and KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan was also present at the packed Eden Gardens stadium to cheer for his team.

In an attempt to bat fast, Gurbaz hit Mohammad Siraj (1/44) for two fours in the third over, which increased the team’s score by 14 runs. But Willie, who conceded only two runs in his first over, bowled the out-of-form Iyer in the next over with a beautiful delivery and uprooted the stumps of Mandeep Singh who came to the crease on the very next ball. It was a maiden over which is rare in T20 cricket.

Captain Nitish Rana landed at the crease. Gurbaj took no pressure from this double whammy and added 15 runs in the fifth over off Akashdeep (30 runs in two overs) hitting a six and a four over fine leg. In the powerplay, the team scored 47 runs losing two wickets. Rana also kept going, he was caught by Michael Bracewell (1/34 in three overs) at the hands of wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik. KKR completed 50 runs in this over. Gurbaj, playing responsibly, hit Bracewell for a six over long-on and a four over deep mid-wicket in the ninth over.

He completed his half-century in 38 balls with six fours and three sixes after hitting a six on a sweep shot over Karn Sharma. KKR’s score was 79 runs in three overs after 10 overs. The team’s hopes were pinned on Gurbaj. But Karn Sharma gave two blows to KKR in the next over which changed the course of the match. First, Gurbaj was caught by Akashdeep at short third man on his ball and on the next ball, Andre Russell reached the pavilion by giving an easy catch to Virat Kohli at long off. Thakur took aggression as soon as he came. He collected 19 runs in the 13th over with two fours and a six off Akashdeep and during this time KKR completed 100 runs. Thakur hit Bracewell for two sixes, which also completed the 50-run partnership in 21 balls between him and Rinku.

Thakur hit his first half-century in the IPL with a four off Harshal Patel (1/38 in three overs) and scored 51 off 20 balls with six fours and three sixes, surpassing Jos Buttler (Jos Buttler) for the fastest half-century this season. 20 balls). Then thanks to Thakur and Rinku, the team added 64 runs in the last five overs and lost two wickets.

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