IPL 2018, Eliminator: 5 reasons why Rajasthan Royals lost to Kolkata Knightriders
Kolkata Knight Riders, who secured the playoff spot in their last league match, upstaged the Rajasthan Royals to register a marvelous win.
The win now sets the appointment of Kolkata Knight Riders against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the same ground as that of tonight on 25th May. The loss has ended RR’s journey in the IPL 2018.
Earlier in the night, it was Rajasthan's captain Ajinkya Rahane who won the toss and chose to bat first at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
The expectation of dew reigning in forced Rahane into the decision. RR began the match on an excellent note as Narine was out on the second ball of the innings.
With the late attack forced upon by Andre Russell and Dinesh Karthik, Kolkata Knight Riders ended up with a healthy score of 169/7 after being 51/4 at one stage.
Royals began the chase in their characteristic fashion with Tripathi attacking and Rahane securing one end.
After Tripathi’s dismissal, Rahane and Samson brought RR closer to the target. Kolkata then stopped RR batting from running away and secured a 25-run victory.
Here are the five major reasons why Rajasthan’s journey ended tonight:
#1 Dinesh Karthik-Shubman Gill’s partnership
With the opener Sunil Narine out early, rest of the Kolkata Knight Rider’s batting order had to step up tonight. Chris Lynn, the other opener, was struggled to free up himself and fell away.
Kolkata’s dependable, Robin Uthappa fell prey to Gowtham’s spin and was out for only 3(7). Nitish Rana, who had earlier in the season saved the team from such situations, was out for 3(5) after attempting a slog shot and KKR was now in trouble.
Kolkata’s Captain and the 18-year-old Shubman Gill acting as Karthik’s deputy made sure that they did not lose any more wickets and kept the runs flowing.
55-run partnership in just 38 balls imparted KKR the much-needed momentum and kept them alive in the eliminator.