CHRIS DHAMBARAGE
COLOMBO – Wanindu Hasaranga’s efforts with the ball was in vain as the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) suffered a 21-run defeat at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 36th match of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
The Sri Lankan ace leg-spinner returned his best bowling figures this season as he finished with two wickets for 24 from his four overs to restrict the KKR to 200 for five in 20 overs after they were sent into bat.
However, RCB’s batting depth was exposed yet again as they managed to score only 179 for eight in 20 overs with Skipper Virat Kohli playing a lone hand and scoring 54 from 37 balls inclusive of six boundaries.
Hasaranga’s finest moment in the game came in the 18th over when he delivered two crucial blows by removing the inform batsmen Nitish Rana (48) and Venkatesh Iyer (31) in the second and fourth deliveries respectively.
Hasaranga took over the 18th over when KKR were heading towards a much bigger total, but he completely mesmerised the two left-handers and slowed down the run rate with a brilliant spell while conceding just three runs.
He first deceived the well-set Rana with a superb leg-spinner as the batsman attempted a reverse sweep before top edging the delivery to Vyshak Vijaykumar, fielding at short third-man.
Hasaranga then bowled a slow legbreak to Andre Russel who opened his account with a single before turning the momentum around with the dismissal of Venkatesh in the fourth delivery of his final over.
This time it was the googly, and the batsman miscued the slog shot towards the on side as the ball went a long way up in the air before Glenn Maxwell at long-on settled under and completed the formality.
With these two scalps, Hasaranga brought his tally to six wickets this season from five matches with an economy rate of 9.00 and with 27 dot balls.
Chasing 201, RCB got off to a breezy start as openers Virat Kohli and Francois du Plessis went on the attack straightaway. Kohli kept the momentum going with a couple of fours off Suyash Sharma and reached his half century off 33 balls.
With 44 needed off 12, it was always going to be an uphill task and the home team managed just 22 as KKR won the match by 21 runs.
Chief scores
Kolkata Knight Riders: 200/5 in 20 overs (Jason Roy 56, Narayan Jagadeesan 27, Venkatesh Iyer 31, Nitish Rana 48, Wanindu Hasaranga 2/24)
Royal Challengers Bangalore: 179/8 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 54, Mahipal Lomror 34, Dinesh Karthik 22, Suyash Sharma 2/30, Varun Chakravarthy 3/27, Andre Russell 2/29).
