Heart-Stopping KKR Eke Out One-Run Win Over RCB In IPL

Karn Sharma's scarcely believable last-over assault on Mitchell Starc gave Royal Challengers Bengaluru a glimmer of hope but the Kolkata Knight Riders kept their nerves to eke out a dramatic one-run win off the last ball in their IPL match here on Sunday.

The Royal Challengers required 21 runs off the last over bowled by left-arm pacer Starc while chasing a daunting 223-run target set by the Knight Riders. The result seemed a foregone conclusion with Karn and Mohammed Siraj at the crease, but the former nearly turned the match on its head.

Karn, a leg-spinner with no real pedigree with the bat, hammered three sixes off Starc to reduce the margin to three runs off two balls. But Starc redeemed himself taking a return catch to dismiss Karn (20, 7b, 3x6) and Lockie Ferguson was run out off the last ball as RCB ended up at 222 all out in 20 overs.

However, in a match with more twists and turns than a hilly road, it was KKR who first snatched the initiative making 222 for six around opener Phil Salt's aggressive 14-ball 48 and skipper Shreyas Iyer's composed 36-ball 50.

But the Royal Challengers were not bogged down by the imposing nature of their chase. Will Jacks (55, 32b; 4x4, 5x6) and Rajat Patidar (52; 23b, 3x4, 5x6) laid a fine foundation through a 102-run alliance for the third wicket that came off just 48 balls.