IPL 2023, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Top Performances: Harry Brook’s 100*(55), Nitish Rana 75(41) and Aiden Markram 50(26) are the top performances. SRH beat KKR by 23 runs and move to number 3 position.
Brief Scores: SRH 228-4 (Brook 100, Markram 50, Russell 3-23) beat KKR 205-7 (Rana 75, Rinku 58*, Markande 2-27) by 23 runs.
Player of the match: Harry Brook 100*(55)
Kolkata Knight Riders hosted the Aiden Markram led Sunrisers Hyderabad side at the iconic Eden Gardens stadium in what was called the 19th game of this IPL. This was KKR’s first game post Rinku Singh’s flash of brilliance that gave them an unlikely win over the defending champions Gujarat Titans at Ahmedabad a few days back.
Both the teams have played 3 games each in IPL 2023 with KKR gaining 2 wins while SRH languishing at the 9th spot with a solitary win in their last game.
KKR’s Nitish Rana won the coin toss and inserted the visiting team into batting on a hot April Day in Kolkata. They set their feet with the same team, where one of their last match hero’s, Venkatesh Iyer, came as an impact substitute at some point of the batting innings. For SRH, Abhishek Sharma makes a comeback replacing Washington Sundar.
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SRH off to a blazing start, courtesy of Harry Brook
SRH started things off in style with Englishman Harry Brook finally getting into his grove in IPL 2023. Opening the innings, Brook made the best use of powerplay where he provided SRH the much-needed impetus. His dominant start enabled SRH pile up 43 in the first 3 overs with Brook himself making 31 of those.
Then Andre Russel took the wicket of Mayank Agarwal (another failure for him) in what was this big Jamaican’s first ball of this IPL. In the same over, he accounted for the inform Rahul Tripathy as SRH finished the powerplays at 65/2.
Skipper Markram joined Harry Brook at the crease, and these attractive batsmen batting looked pleasing to the eyes. The duo put on 72-run stand for the 3rd wicket and it came off only 47 balls with Markram reaching his half-century off just 25 balls. Soon after that, Markram departed but Brook continued his merry way and along with Abhishek Sharma (32 off 17), he made sure SRH had a strong finish. They had a 72-run stand which came off only 32 balls and SRH ended up with 228/4 in their 20 overs with Brook reaching his maiden IPL century in 55 balls.
In pursuit of a daunting 229 to win, KKR lost inform opener Gurbaz for a duck in the very first over to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, while Marco Jansen removed Venkatesh Iyer & Sunil Narine off successive balls in his 2nd over and this dented the home team’s chances big time.
However, Narayan Jagadeesan and skipper Nitish Rana gave the much-needed impetus to the KKR innings. While the keeper batsman showed his true potential this innings, Rana was the one who seemingly turned things around by slamming 4 fours and 2 sixes of the Umran Malik over as KKR made 62 run the powerplays for the loss of 3 wickets.
Jagadeesan was looking in ominous touch, but leg-spinner Markande removed him when on 36 and Russell’s poor batting form continued as he succumbed to the leggie. Rinku who scripted a win for the ages in the previous game played a key role here yet again. He hit 4 sixes in his unbeaten knock of 58 but like Rana’s 75, his knock couldn’t take KKR past the finish line. SRH won the game by 23 runs.
KKR over the years dominated at the Eden Garden thanks to their potent spin attacks of the past. However, that seemed missing in the current. Yes, the surface was a batting paradise but the KKR spinners Narine, Varun and Suyash took only 1 wicket in 12 overs while going for 113 between them.
This makes things that much more difficult for them, as their spin attack is one of their big strengths and has won them a lot of games in the past.
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Let us scan the key performances of the KKR-SRH game of IPL 2023
Harry Brook slams the first century of this IPL courtesy of a chanceless inning
Harry Brook was an emerging superstar when he was picked by the SRH at the auction for a whopping 13.25 crores. This was as a result of his stunning start to international career and exploits in several T20 leagues. But he couldn’t translate his success in the first 3 games of IPL where he made scores of 13, 3 and 13. The pressure was on him, and Brook responded in style scorning a stunning century, where he remained unbeaten on 100.
He dominated pacers & spinners alike and forged 2 effective 70+ stands to take SRH to their highest total of the season 228/4. In the first 3 overs, he made 31 off SRH’s 43 and later in the 16th over of the innings, he smashed pacer Lockie Ferguson for 23 runs. In the process he reached his maiden IPL ton in 55 balls and this knock could be a start of something special from the talented Brook.
Nitish Rana leads from the front
Nitish Rana came to the crease at a tough predicament for the Knight Riders who were reeling at 20/3 in the 4th over and they needed something special from the skipper to keep them afloat. He did just that as his assault on speedster Umran Malik started to turn things around for them. Rana smashed Malik for 28 runs in the last over of the powerplays giving them the much-needed momentum.
He continued to take KKR forward and kept them in the chase in his partnerships with Jagadeesan and Rinku Singh. Rana eventually ran out of stream but not before making a spectacular 75 off 41 deliveries.
Read More: IPL 2023, GT vs KKR: Rinku Singh smashes 5 sixes in 5 balls in final over; KKR win
Aiden Markram shines in the middle-order
If Rana played a captain’s knock for KKR in this game, Aiden Markram did his bit for the Sunrisers cause earlier in the evening. Coming after a great start provided by Brook. Markram kept the momentum going Hyderabad’s way as he counter attacked the Knight Riders, especially the spinners. He scored a 25-ball half-century, his first as the skipper of SRH and led the team amazingly well since his arrival.
Whats Next and Points table
Both teams now have 2 wins under their belt after 4 league games. Despite defeat KKR are placed at No.4 and they face MI next on 16th at Wankhede while Sunrisers is at 7th & they also play MI next on 18th April at home.
Read More: IPL 2023, KKR vs RCB: Shardul fires with bat; KKR spinners puncture RCB batting order
IPL 2023 Points Table
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