[Watch] KKR players sing team anthem with Shahrukh Khan after first win of IPL 2023
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) registered their first win of IPL 2023, beating Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 81 runs at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on April 6.
The team lost its season opener to the Punjab Kings (PBKS) by seven runs on April 1.
The Knight Riders were put into bat by RCB Skipper Faf du Plessis and Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz made a breezy 57 off 44 balls. However, wickets kept tumbling around him, and KKR found themselves in trouble at 89-5 in the 12th over when star all-rounder Andre Russell was dismissed off his very first delivery.
David Wiley, replacing the injured Reece Topley in the playing XI, bowled an incisive spell as he dismissed Venkatesh Iyer and Mandeep Singh off back-to-back deliveries in the fourth over of the innings. With KKR looking certain to post a below-par total, Shardul Thakur gave the home fans plenty to cheer as he smashed a scintillating 68 off 29 balls.
His innings sparked a recovery for the Knight Riders as they ended up with a massive 204-7 in their 20 overs. He was ably supported by Rinku Singh, who scored a crucial 46 off 33 balls.
Chasing 205, experienced openers Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis got RCB off to a great start before KKR's spinners took centerstage. Sunil Narine dismissed Virat Kohli with a ball that spun back sharply, and Varun Chakravarthy followed suit in the next over by dismissing Du Plessis.
With their star openers back in the pavilion, RCB lost wickets in clusters as they were bowled out for just 123 in the 18th over. Chakravarthy was the star, picking up four wickets. He was well supported by the wily Narine (2-16) and 19-year-old debutant Suyash Sharma (3-30).
Shardul Thakur was named the man of the match for his all-round showing as KKR registered their first victory under new captain Nitesh Rana, who replaced the injured Shreyas Iyer this season.
After the match, KKR players and co-owner Sharukh Khan (in attendance) celebrated their victory by singing the team anthem, led by Rinku Singh.
The video was shared by the franchise on its social media handles.
Yewwwwww beauttyyyy!!! 💜💜💜
@iamsrk | #KKRvRCB | #AmiKKR | #TATAIPL 2023 https://t.co/qbNYIIX8AU
"Even I don't know where it came from!" - KKR's Shardul Thakur after match-winning performance against RCB
Shardul Thakur was delighted with his performance that helped KKR recover from dire straits and record their first victory of IPL 2023.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Thakur credited the coaching staff and the pitch for his match-winning knock.
"Even I don't know where it came from! But your subconscious mind takes over. You also have to have skills to do that at the higher level, but we also work hard in the nets. Coaching staff do the throwdowns, and give us the option of range-hitting. And you know the pitches; they always suit the batsmen."
KKR captain Nitesh Rana credited Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rinku Singh, and Shardul Thakur as well as the young Suyash Sharma for the team's resounding victory.
"Credit to Gurbaz. And it was an unbelievable innings from Shardul Thakur! People will talk about Shardul, but Rinku held one end up, as we had planned."
He continued:
"We had always planned not to give RCB batters pace in the middle overs. Suyash, playing his first match, bowled brilliant balls to such batters. It was always our plan to add him if we needed a third spinner."
The Knight Riders will now travel to Ahmedabad to take on the Gujarat Titans on April 9, while RCB will return home to take on the Lucknow Super Giants on April 10.