BENGALURU, India (CMC) — Man-of-the-Match Sunil Narine produced a cameo and Andre Russell weighed in with a brace of wickets, as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) thrashed Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by seven wickets to remain unbeaten in the Indian Premier League.
Choosing to bowl first at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here Friday, KKR restricted RCB to 182 for six off their 20 overs with opener Virat Kohli top-scoring with a brilliant unbeaten 83 from 59 balls and Australians Cameron Green (33) and Glenn Maxwell (28) chipping in.
Medium-fast Russell turned in a top spell, taking two for 29 from four overs, including the key wicket of Green.
In reply, KKR stormed to their target with 19 balls to spare, Venkatesh Iyer lashing exactly 50 off 30 deliveries and the left-handed Narine blasting a 22-ball 47 at the top of the order.
Captain Shreyas Iyer (39) and Englishman Phil Salt (30) also chimed in with key supporting knocks as KKR won their second on the bounce while condemning RCB to their second defeat in three outings.
RCB suffered the early loss of South African Captain Faf du Plessis for eight in the second over but Kohli led the recovery, posting 65 for the second wicket with Green, 42 for the third wicket with Maxwell and 31 for the sixth wicket with Dinesh Karthik (20).
He counted four fours and four sixes, reaching his fifty off 36 balls.
Narine, who finished with one for 40 from his four overs of off-spin, then pushed RCB back from the outset of the chase, belting two fours and five sixes as he inspired an 86-run opening standoff 39 balls with Salt.
When both fell nine balls apart with six runs added, Venkatesh took control of the chase, putting on 75 for the third wicket with Shreyas in a stand which put KKR on the brink of victory.