Jason Roy starred with a blistering fifty as Kolkata Knight Riders regained their mojo to post a battling 200 for five against RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore) in the IPL 2023 in Bengaluru.
Following falling to seventh place following four consecutive losses, KKR finally got into the act, with Roy setting the tone up front with five sixes and four boundaries on way to his 56 runs in 29 balls as he and Narayan Jagadeesan (27 runs; 29 balls) gave KKR their greatest ever begin – in 56 balls, 83 runs.
KKR’s batting came on each side of Sri Lankan legspin wonder Hasaranga’s two fantastic bowling stints, as he returned by means of 4-0-24-2.
His thrifty powerplay effort was the cause for Vyshak Vijay Kumar’s double blow, which witness him expel Jagadeesan and Roy.
Nitish Rana, on the other hand, easily reached his 21-ball 48 (3×4, 4×6) by taking advantage of his two reprieves, which occurred on 5 and 19, to retain them from losing the motion.
Rinku Singh (18 runs not out; 10 balls), the new hero of team, then took control by smashing 2 fours and 1 six to help Kolkata Knight Riders pass the barrier of 200-run.
David Wiese smashed 2 sixes for a perfect twelve.
Roy gave Kolkata Knight Riders their best-ever begin to the season with a 22-ball fifty during the powerplay, his second in a row.
When left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed was inserted in the final over of the powerplay, the Englishman exhibited his ire at the likes of RCB new ball bowlers, Mohammed Siraj, and David Willey.
Roy smashed him for four sixes in five balls in a 25-run thrashing as KKR cruised to their greatest powerplay total score of the year with Sixty-Six for no loss.
But the Willy Lankan spinner Hasaranga deserves praise for bowling a clean over during the powerplay in which he allowed only two runs to pile pressure on the pair.
When the constraints were unexpectedly removed, Vyshak Vijay Kumar and Harshal Patel constricted the rope even tighter, emphasising their evident misbehaviour.
While Roy had a gem of a delivery from the uncapped Indian who got a brilliant legstump yorker to attack the Englishman round his stump, Jagadeesan, who was struggling to make big smashes, was carried out by a Vyshak Vijay Kumar bouncer.
