Harshit Rana defended 13 runs in the final over after conceding a six from Heinrich Klaasen in the first ball.
Kolkata Knight Riders started their IPL 2024 campaign with a thrilling last-ball-win over Sunrisers Hyderabad. Chasing a stiff target of 209 runs, SRH batters got starts but no one could convert them into a big one except Heinrich Klaasen. Openers Mayank Agarwal and Abhishek Sharma contributed quick thirties. SRH needed 98 runs from 50 balls when Klaasen arrived at the crease.
He struggled with his timing early on but soon got into his rhythm. Overall, Klaasen tonked 8 sixes in his innings with no fours. He was dismissed in the final over by Harshit Rana for a superb 63 off 29 runs. Klaasen’s dismissal also ended SRH’s hopes for a win. The South African was well supported by Shahbaz Ahmed in the end overs who scored a 5-ball-16 to take SRH close.
Earlier, KKR made 208/7, thanks to Andre Russell’s late blitz. Opener Phil Salt scored a half-century on his KKR debut. Salt, Ramandeep Singh, and Rinku Singh contributed with the bat for KKR but it was Russell’s 64* off 25 balls that took them to an above-par total. Russell’s innings had 3 fours and 7 sixes. T Natarajan was impressive with figures of 3-32 and bowled a superb last over.
Meanwhile, KKR captain Shreyas Iyer revealed in the post-match presentation how he calmed down Harshit Rana before the last over. With 13 needed in the last over, Rana was hit for a six off the first ball before he came back strongly in the next five deliveries.
“To be honest, he (Harshit Rana) was a bit nervous when he was coming in to bowl. I looked into his eyes and I told him that this is your moment. You need to make the best use of it. Don’t think much about it,” Iyer revealed.in the post-match presentation.
:”Even if we lose, it’s fine, you just back yourself and see to it that you execute whatever I say and what messages we got from inside. There was a bit cluster in between but I tried to calm him down as much as possible and rest is history,” the KKR captain added.
Player of the Match Andre Russell too lauded Rana for his positive body language and hsi eagerness to bowl the last over. Russell scored 64 runs and picked up 2 wickets in the match.
“I think his body language was on point at the last over. He wanted to bowl and that is a body language we all need as professionals. If we shy away from it, maybe it would go the other way. He told me that he wants the last over so he claimed it and he did deliver for us. With the first ball going for six, still had a little doubt there but he came back strong and he got the job done,” Russell said.
WATCH: Suyash Sharma’s diving catch under pressure to dismiss Heinrich Klaasen
KKR won the match by 4 runs, thus starting their campaign on a winning note. They now move to Bengaluru to play RCB on March 29. Meanwhile, SRH will move to Hyderabad to play Mumbai Indians on March 27.
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