A rollercoaster of a game saw Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) narrowly defeat Rajasthan Royals (RR) by one run, a result that could have gone either way until the final ball. Riyan Parag shone with a remarkable 95, including six sixes in a single over against Moeen Ali, while Shubham Dubey delivered a crucial late-over hitting spree to secure the win.
With three runs needed off the last ball, Dubey smashed a boundary off Arora’s yorker to long-off, attempting a run for a Super Over but Jofra Archer’s throw from short cover ended his hopes.
KKR’s victory was built on Andre Russell’s explosive 57 off 25 balls, which propelled them to 85 runs in the last five overs after a slow start against spin. Moeen Ali and Varun Chakravarthy initially put RR under pressure with their bowling, but Parag almost turned the tables with his own powerful hitting.
Parag’s Dramatic Chase
Disappointment was evident on Parag’s face when Varun dismissed Wanindu Hasaranga, nearly pushing RR to needing 136 off just 73 balls. However, Parag then unleashed a stunning 32-run over against Moeen Ali – four of those sixes landing square or midwicket.
Shimron Hetmyer played cautiously throughout his innings, providing reassurance with two boundary-less overs after his dismissal.
Harshit Rana returned to bowl effectively, using short-pitched deliveries and yorkers to restrict RR’s scoring early on. He nearly dismissed Rahane with a side-arm ball before a mistimed shot landed safely in the hands of long-on.
Late-Innings Momentum Shifts
Narain brought control back for KKR after an expensive start, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz initially rotated the strike well. However, Gurbaz was dismissed by Theekshana. Rana continued to pressure RR with variations, including yorkers and slower balls, nearly running out Parag on the third legal ball.
Russell then stepped up in the penultimate over, hitting 11 runs before a missed yorker gave him a chance to accelerate, ultimately scoring 50 off 22 balls.
The final over was chaotic, with three wides and an edge that landed safely at extra cover. Despite several missed opportunities by KKR fielders, Dubey’s boundary secured the one-run victory.
Opening Strategy & RR’s Struggles
KKR began with Sunil Narine and Rahmanullah Gurbaz rotating the strike effectively. Yudhvir Singh conceded boundaries against the top order. Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal started well for RR, but their scoring slowed significantly due to RR’s spin attack. Theekshana dismissed Gurbaz, while Hasaranga initially contained the pace before Parag’s onslaught.