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Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) returned to winning ways after beating Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their first home game of IPL 2023 by 81 runs at the Eden Gardens on Thursday, April 6.
Asked to bat first, the Knight Riders were in all sorts of problems at one stage, reeling at 89/5 in 11.3 overs. While the writing was on the wall, Shardul Thakur produced a magical counter-attacking knock to help the team post a challenging total.
The ace all-rounder smacked 68 off 29 deliveries, including nine boundaries and three sixes to change the course of the match. Riding on his breathtaking knock, KKR posted 204/7 in 20 overs.
Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis once again got the RCB side off to a flying start before KKR made a comeback towards the end of the powerplay, dismissing both openers in a span of four deliveries.
It all went downhill for Bangalore from there as they were bundled out for 123. The spinners dominated the proceedings, with Varun Chakravarthy picking up a four-wicket haul. Debutant Suyash Sharma and Sunil Narine also made significant contributions, chipping in with three and two wickets, respectively.
There was a lot on offer for fans at Eden Gardens despite it being a one-sided affair. On that note, let's take a look at three moments from the game that created buzz.
#1 Karn Sharma's double strike
Karn Sharma, who warmed the benches the entire 2022 season, proved his potential in the first game against Mumbai Indians (MI), picking up a two-wicket haul.
The senior leg-spinner continued the good run, dismissing Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Andre Russell off consecutive deliveries in the 12th over. The double strike from Karn put KKR on the back foot.
The leg-spinner eventually returned with figures of 2/26 from his three overs.
#2 Shardul Thakur's six over mid-wicket fielder
KKR all-rounder Shardul Thakur turned the game on its head from nowhere. The home side were down and out, losing half of their wickets at 89 in 11.3 overs.
Team India all-rounder, who was traded in from Delhi Capitals (DC) before the IPL 2023 mini-auction, surprised everyone with his whirlwind knock. Shardul smacked a 20-ball 50 and eventually finished with 68 runs off 29 balls.
He smashed nine boundaries and three sixes but his massive hit off Michael Bracewell over the mid-wicket fielder in the 15th over stood out among all.
#3 KKR debutant Suyash Sharma's twin strikes
Young debutant Suyash Sharma came as an Impact Player substitute in place of Venkatesh Iyer.
The mystery leg-spinner made an immediate impact, dismissing Anuj Rawat. He then got the better of Dinesh Karthik and Karn Sharma in the 15th over to shut shop for the visiting side.
Suyash bowled well, returning with figures of 3/30 from his four overs. While things were favorable today, the youngster showed that he is here to stay. It will be a massive confidence booster for him ahead of the next games.
