Traded player Shardul Thakur underlined his immense value as an all-rounder, slamming his maiden T20 half-century and claiming one wicket, as Kolkata Knight Riders bounced back from a loss to record an emphatic 81-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore on its homecoming after almost four years at the Eden Gardens here on Thursday.
Asked to bat, KKR relied on magnificent fifties from two traded players, Afghan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Thakur, to enable KKR post a formidable 204 for seven.
The host benefitted from the magic of its spinners, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, who captured four wickets, and debutant Impact Player Suyash Sharma, to bundle out RCB for 123.
KKR vs RCB in pictures - IPL 2023
Gurbaz (57, 44b, 6x4, 3x6), traded from Gujarat Titans, impressed a packed house by single-handedly gathering runs to give KKR a decent start despite the loss of three wickets inside seven overs.
Even as the experienced David Willey, who bowled a good length and extracted some movement, castled Venkatesh Iyer and Mandeep Singh off consecutive deliveries, and Michael Bracewell removed captain Nitish Rana, Gurbaz, gifted with a clear head and a pair of agile feet, was at ease against pacers and spinners alike in executing some stunning hits and gathering useful singles.
Karn Sharma removed Gurbaz and Andre Russell off consecutive deliveries.
However, Thakur (68, 29b, 9x4, 3x6), who made a transition from Delhi Capitals, capitalised on the situation to showcase his awe-inspiring big hits, lording over the area between cover and long-off on one side and between fine-leg and mid-wicket on the other.
Thakur notched up his fifty in 20 balls, the joint fastest with Jos Buttler in IPL 2023, and forged a valuable 103-run partnership with Rinku Singh (46, 33b, 2x4, 3x6), who joined the party late, before exiting in the final over. The sixth-wicket stand took KKR past 200, which looked difficult at one stage.
RCB began the chase briskly before KKR’s trusted spin duo, Narine and Varun, bamboozled the visiting batters, including the famed Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell, with their variations to share the first five wickets inside nine overs.
Thakur, who scalped Bracewell, and Suyash contributed in completing the formality.
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