A magnificent final over from Harshit Rana, defending 13 runs, and a spectacular all-round performance from Andre Russell (64 off 25 & 2/25) helped Kolkata Knight Riders edge Sunrisers Hyderabad in a thriller in Match 3 of the Tata IPL 2024 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

A sensational whirlwind innings of 63 from 29 balls from Heinrich Klaasen had almost pulled the game out of the clutches of KKR, but Rana bowled a brilliant final over to win the match by four runs for KKR.

Earlier, Russell went on a six-hitting spree and smashed 64 off 25 as he, along with Ramandeep Singh (35 off 17), helped KKR recover from 119/6 and post a formidable 208/7. 

Chasing 209, SRH openers Mayank Agarwal and Impact Player Abhishek Sharma, who replaced T Natarajan, got SRH off to a solid start, scoring 60 inside the Powerplay. The pair hit six fours and three sixes in the first five overs, but Harshit Rana provided the breakthrough in the last over of the Powerplay, having Mayank Agarwal (32 off 21) caught at deep square leg off a short delivery.

After a quiet over from Sunil Narine, Russell came into the attack, and he struck straightaway in his first over, bouncing out Sharma (32 off 19). KKR introduced Suyash Sharma as the Impact Player, replacing Ramandeep Singh.

Aiden Markram and Rahul Tripathi got together and added 36 runs. Tripathi got lucky twice, as he was dropped at first by Varun Chakaravarthy and then given not out on an LBW shout. KKR decided not to review it and the replays showed all three reds. With the partnership building, Shreyas Iyer brought back Chakaravarthy, and he brought his captain the wicket, dismissing Markram. Tripathi's luck finally ran out as he holed out to deep square leg off Narine. The required rate kept rising. With 94 needed off 36, Heinrich Klaasen cracked a couple of sixes off Chakaravarthy. But Starc came back to bowl a brilliant over, giving away just five.

With 76 needed off 24, Samad smacked a six and a four off Russell, but the KKR all-rounder bounced back to dismiss Samad in the same over. With 60 needed off 18, Klaasen and Shahbaz Ahmed smashed three sixes off Chakaravarthy in the next over to keep SRH afloat. Klaasen then brought up his fifty in style, with three sixes off Starc, and Shahbaz finished the over with a six to make it 26 off the over and bring the equation down to 13 needed off the last over.

Harshit Rana was handed the ball to bowl the last over, and Klaasen smacked the first ball for a humongous six. A single followed, but Shahbaz holed out to long on off the next ball. Marco Jansen managed just a single off his first ball, but the match turned around again as Rana had Klaasen (63 off 29) brilliantly caught at short third man by Suyash Sharma off a slower one.

Plot Twist 🔁

Suyash Sharma's 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙍𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘾𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 dismisses Heinrich Klaasen 😮

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With five needed off the last ball, Harshit Rana bowled a clever slower one again outside off, and captain Pat Cummins swung and missed to spark exuberant celebrations in the KKR camp.

Earlier, Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to field.

SRH bounced back strongly in the Powerplay after Kolkata Knight Riders had gotten off to a breezy start. They picked up the wickets of Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer and Shreyas Iyer inside the first six overs. Phil Salt went berserk in the second over, smacking three consecutive sixes off Marco Jansen but the eventful over saw Narine get run out after a slight miscommunication. T Natarajan then started off brilliantly, dismissing Venkatesh Iyer and Shreyas Iyer in the fourth over. 

Sunil Narine ✅
Venkatesh Iyer ✅
Shreyas Iyer ✅@SunRisers bowlers start off on a positive note 👌👌

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Salt and Nitish Rana then tried to stabilise things but Mayank Markande struck in his first over, sending back Rana in the 8th over. Ramandeep Singh (35 off 17) then provided the crucial impetus with some powerful hitting but a brilliant diving catch from Mayank Markande halted his charge in the 13th over as he pulled off a splendid catch at cover, off Pat Cummins. 

Salt then brought up his fifty with a four but he couldn't convert it into a big one as he departed in the same over. Jansen pulled off another superb catch on the fence, off Markande, to dismiss Salt (54 off 40). 

Andre Russell arrived at the crease and after a cautious first few balls, started the sixathon. Rinku Singh (23 off 15) too joined the party as the duo smashed 81 runs off 33 balls to power KKR to 208/7. Russell smacked seven sixes and three fours and remained unbeaten on 64 off 25 balls.

Russell's Muscles 💪

Andre Russell is hitting it out of park with ease 😮

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