Andre Russel's quickfire 49 and skipper Karthik's 52 help Kolkata inflict 25-run win to end Rajasthan's campaign
Kolkata's Andre Russell during his 25-ball 49 v Rajasthan in the T20 Eliminator at Eden Gardens yesterday. Pics/AFP
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Egged on by a raucous home support, Kolkata crawled back from the brink to pull off a 25-run win over Rajasthan in the Eliminator at the Eden Gardens yesterday. It sent the Royals packing and Kolkata into a showdown with Hyderabad in Friday's Qualifier 2.
Two-time champions, Kolkata managed a vulnerable 169 for seven in their 20 overs after a disastrous start. Rajasthan seemed to be cruising while skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Sanju Samson were stitching together a second-wicket partnership that would yield 62 runs from 54 deliveries. Then, it all went into a tailspin as the two departed. Rahane, overturning a leg-before 'dismissal' through the DRS when he was 14 in the third over, scored a 41-ball 46 before Samson fell for a 37-ball 50.
Kolkata's Piyush Chawla celebrates a Rajasthan wicket with Kuldeep Yadav
The meltdown that had seen the Royals slump to 142 all out after a blistering start. Kuldeep Yadav finished with impressive figures of 4-0-18-1. After putting their opponents in, the Royals got just the start they would have wanted with three batsmen back in the pavilion with just 24 on the board and the game four overs old. Despite 14 runs coming off the sixth over, the Powerplay produced just 46.
Sunil Narine left in the second ball, a careless swipe at off-spinner K Gowtham leaving him stranded outside the crease. Robin Uthappa became Gowtham's next victim as he played early for an easy caught-and-bowled. Nitish Rana miscued a pull off Archer to mid-on. Shreyas Gopal removed a restless Chris Lynn to push the Knights into a hole at 51 for four after eight.
The fifth-wicket partnership between Dinesh Karthik and Shubman Gill fetched 55 off 38 deliveries. Just as the two were beginning to break free, having taken 20 runs off Gopal's final over, Gill fell in the next to the extra bounce of Archer. Andre Russell joined Karthik and the two added 29 before the Kolkata skipper miscued and skied one to be caught by his counterpart at extra-cover. Russell made sure the momentum was not lost as he went about hammering three boundaries and fives sixes in another awe-inspiring display of power-hitting.
Also Read: T20 2018 Preview: Kolkata Hope To Get It Right At Home Against Weakened Rajasthan
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