Kolkata hands Rajasthan first loss in Indian Premier League
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Fast bowlers Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi ran through Rajasthan Royals’ top order batting to earn a 37-run win for Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League on Wednesday.
The 20-year-old Nagarkoti grabbed 2-13 while Mavi got the prized wickets of Sanju Samson (8) and Jos Buttler (21) to restrict Rajasthan at 137-9.
No. 7 batsman Tom Curran top-scored with 54 off 36 balls and was one of three Rajasthan batsman to reach double figures.
“It was a little different after seeing the wicket, thought it would be flat, but it was seaming around so I kept it tight,” Mavi said. “I’ve played against some of these big players before, I knew what they would do so I made sure I just stuck to the lines and lengths.”
Earlier, after being sent in to bat, Kolkata owed its total of 174-6 to Shubman Gill’s 47 off 34 balls up front and Eoin Morgan’s unbeaten 34 off 23 deliveries.
Jofra Archer pinned down Kolkata’s batsmen with fine figures of 2-14 and had Gill caught off his own bowling in the 12th over.
Nagarkoti and Mavi’s early strikes left Rajasthan reeling at 5-42 in the eighth over before Rahul Tewatia was clean bowled by leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy to make it 6-66 in the 11th over.
Curran reduced the margin of defeat with some late hitting that included successive sixes off Sunil Narine to complete his half century in an otherwise a disappointing performance by Rajasthan's top order batsmen.
“We lost too many wickets up front, a few of us probably thought we’re still playing at Sharjah,” said Rajasthan skipper Steven Smith, who was caught behind in the second over after scoring only three. “We probably didn’t adapt as well as we could have to the wicket and the dimensions. We’ll wait and see about switching the XI around.”
Kolkata’s persistence with Narine as an opener failed for the third successive match when the West Indian left-hander played onto left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat in the fifth over and was clean bowled for 15.
Andre Russell (24 off 14 balls) and Nitish Rana (22 off 17 balls) couldn’t capitalize on good starts but Morgan hit two sixes and a four which propelled Kolkata's total in the end.
It was Rajasthan’s first loss in the tournament after it won both its previous games at Sharjah.
There is a four-way tie atop the leaderboard after all eight teams played three games each with Kolkata, Rajasthan, Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore all having four points.
On Thursday, defending champion Mumbai Indians will take on Kings XI Punjab as both teams look for their second win in the tournament.
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