IPL 2020: Twitterati troll RR as they finish last in points table after 60-run thumping from KKR
Eoin Morgan and Pat Cummins’ best-ever IPL performances forced the Rajasthan Royals out of the tournament as they lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by 60 runs in Match 54 of IPL 2020 at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
After Steve Smith won the toss and opted to field first, Jofra Archer got RR off to a flying start by dismissing Nitish Rana for a duck off the second ball of the innings. But Shubman Gill and Rahul Tripathi didn’t let the pressure get to them, and instead took the attack to the RR bowlers.
The duo put on 72 runs off just 49 deliveries for the second wicket to put KKR in the driver’s seat. Rahul Tewatia then accounted for Gill (36 off 24) and removed Sunil Narine – who came in at No. 4 – three balls later.
KKR went through another rough patch as the well-set Rahul Tripathi (39 off 34) and Dinesh Karthik (0 off 1) perished in a matter of 3 deliveries to be precariously placed on 99 for 5 in the 13th over. Andre Russell – who came into the side after a 4-match injury layoff – went into top gear straight away, hitting 2 consecutive sixes off Kartik Tyagi.
But the 19-year-old came back in style to take the prized scalp of Russell after a quickfire 25 off just 11 balls. Eoin Morgan, though, held fort at one end and forged a 40-run seventh-wicket stand with Pat Cummins to finish on an unbeaten 35-ball 68, powering KKR to 191 for 7 in the process.
In reply, RR lost Robin Uthappa in the first over, but that was after both he and Ben Stokes tore into Pat Cummins (4 for 34) and plundered 19 runs off the first 6 balls. But, the Australian fast bowler made a roaring comeback to take 3 wickets in his next 2 overs, leaving the Steve Smith-led side on 37 for 5 after 5 overs.
Jos Buttler (35 off 22) and Rahul Tewatia (31 off 27) steadied the ship with a 43-run sixth-wicket stand, but Varun Chakravarthy (2 for 20), Kamlesh Nagarkoti (1 for 24) and Shivam Mavi (2 for 15) dried up the runs to restrict the opposition to 131 for 9.
The loss pushed RR to the bottom of the IPL 2020 points table, while KKR’s qualification chances hinge on the results of the remaining 2 matches.
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