The Match 9 of TATA IPL 2023 featuring Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore commenced on Thursday, April 6, at 7.30 pm IST. The match was telecasted live on Star Sports Channels and streamed live on Jio Cinema App.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) emerged victorious against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 9th match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. Shardul Thakur received the Player of the Match award for his extraordinary all-round performance with bat and bowl.
Kolkata Knight Riders made a remarkable homecoming by securing a massive 81-run victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore, thanks to a brilliant counter-attacking half-century from Shardul Thakur followed by the spinners’ exceptional performance. The spin trio – Varun, Narine, and debutant Suyash collectively claimed nine wickets with Chakravarthy taking four wickets, Sunil picking two and Sharma chipping three wickets.
Faf du Plessis, the captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore won the toss and decided to bowl first against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens Stadium, Kolkata.
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Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore Playing XI
Kolkata Knight Riders: Mandeep Singh, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana (c), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Shardul Thakur, Sunil Narine, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (c), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Michael Bracewell, Shahbaz Ahmed, David Willey, Karn Sharma, Harshal Patel, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore Match Highlights
In the first innings of the match, Kolkata Knight Riders posted a total of 204 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. The top-order batter, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, played a crucial knock of 57 runs to give the team a solid start. The middle-order batter, Shardul Thakur, was in sublime form as he scored an impressive 68 runs off just 30 balls, including 9 fours and 3 sixes. Rinku Singh also contributed with a quick-fire 46 runs off 23 deliveries. However, RCB managed to pick up a few wickets towards the end of the innings, with David Willey and Karn Sharma claiming 2 wickets each. Overall, KKR managed to put up a challenging total on the board, thanks to the good batting effort from their top-order batters.
In pursuit of the target of 205 runs set by Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore could only manage a total of 123 runs in 17.3 overs before being bowled out. KKR’s bowlers put up an impressive display with Varun Chakravarthy emerging as the top performer with four wickets to his name. Suyash Sharma also played a significant role in RCB’s downfall, as he took three wickets. Sunil Narine also chipped in with two dismissals to restrict RCB’s run-scoring opportunities. Despite their best efforts, RCB fell short of their target by a huge margin of 81 runs.
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore Scorecard
KKR vs RCB: 9th Match, TATA IPL 2023
Kolkata Knight Riders: 204/7 in 20 overs
Royal Challengers Bangalore: 123/10 in 17.4 overs
Result: Kolkata Knight Riders won by 81 runs