IPL 2018, RR vs KKR: Sunil Narine's hattrick of fours is the SK Turning Point of the match
The Kolkata Knight Riders clinched their third victory of IPL 2018 by 7 wickets against the Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Wednesday (April 18).
Right from the toss, everything went according to plan for Dinesh Karthik and his troops. After winning the toss, they decided to field first and did a brilliant job to restrict the hosts for just 160 for 8 in 20 overs. However, Rajasthan made a thumping start to the second innings, as K Gowtham dismissed Chris Lynn in the very first over of the chase. It looked like the match was set to be another thriller-in-making, as the visitors were in a spot of bother at 1 for 1 after the first six deliveries.
However, Sunil Narine took the matter in his hands in the fourth over of the game and broke the very spine of the chase. Dhawal Kulkarni was taken to the cleaners by the West Indian, as he smashed the seamer for three back-to-back boundaries.
When the total is 15 to 20 runs below par like it was for RR on the day, a big over in the beginning of the chase kills the game for the team defending it. That is exactly what happened for the Royals against KKR, as they could not contain the Men in Purple in the powerplay overs.
The left-hander went on to play a strong knock for the hosts, as he scored 35 runs off just 25 deliveries, spanking five fours and one six in his innings. He built a formidable partnership with Robin Uthappa, who played well for his 48 as well. It was a terrific comeback for Narine, as he had leaked runs at an economy of 12 with the ball in the first innings.
The Ajinkya Rahane-led team have a sterner test for them in their next encounter, as they will travel to Pune to take on the Chennai Super Kings at their new home ground, the MCA Stadium. The Kolkata Knight Riders, on the other hand, will host the Kings XI Punjab on Saturday (April 21).