IPL 2023 RCB VS KKR: Top knocks from Shardul Thakur, Gurbaz help KKR post a Mammoth target of 205 against RCB
IPL 2023 RCB VS KKR: Spurred by the batting heroics of opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz (57 off 44 balls), Shardul Thakur (68 off 29 balls) and Rinku Singh (46 off 33), Kolkata Knight Riders posted a competitive 204 for 7 in their Indian Premier League match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore on Thursday.
Shah Rukh Khan was also in attendance as the Bollywood superstar saw his side slump to 89/5 but then came Shardul and Rinku Singh to help KKR cross the 200-run mark.
IPL 2023 RCB VS KKR: Shardul Thakur shows why he is also known as ‘Lord Shardul’
It was the partnership between Rinku and Shardul that helped the KKR stabilise after a shaky start which saw them lose two wickets on consecutive balls twice which saw them slump to 89 for five.
Thakur smashed the joint-fastest fifty in IPL 2023, needing just 20 balls to notch his half-century.
Shardul’s knock included 9 boundaries and two massive maximums, as he did the scoring at a breathtaking strike rate of 234.48. On the other hand, Rinku also joined hands with him and recorded 46 runs in 33 balls with two boundaries and three sixes.
For Royal Challengers Bangalore, left-arm pace bowler David Willey and leg-spinner Karn Sharma took two wickets each. Nitish Rana is leading the home side after regular skipper Shreyas Iyer was ruled out due to injury and another blow jolted the side when Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan pulled out because of family reasons.
KKR hope for a positive result and first points on the table
KKR got their campaign off to a shaky start, suffering a seven-run loss against Punjab Kings in a rain-affected game in Mohali. The two-time champions, who are being led by batter Nitish Rana this season following Shreyas Iyer’s injury-forced exit, reached 146/7 — seven runs behind the DLS par score — before the heavens opened up. Punjab had earlier flayed the Knight Riders attack, posting a challenging 191/5 on the board.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will hope to open their account at their home venue of the Eden Gardens as they take on an upbeat Royal Challengers Bangalore.
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