48 from 13 balls with one four and seven sixes as someone with mohawk hair destroyed one of the most fancied teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL). And the beneficiaries were Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) lost five matches on a trot as M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru witnessed the brutality of Andre Russell, who made the impossible possible. But the real story is here: KKR, chasing a massive 206-run target, needed 66 runs from the last 24 balls. Russell even consumed a couple of dot balls for vanity's sake. Then, the inevitable happened. Here's the recap though. (MATCH REPORT | SCHEDULE | POINTS TABLE | 2019 ELECTION SPECIAL) KKR's Andre Russell, center, celebrates with teammates after their win against RCB. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) And it took only one ball. Dre Russ has set new batting standards. KKR won by five wickets as THAT man made a mockery of 206-run target set by RCB. 11:42 PM IST: One over and all of RCB's efforts, including those of Virat Kohli's, have gone to waste. And blame it on Adre Russell. 29 runs from the penultimate over. It had everything. Brutal power, timing, placing and intimidation too. This is what has happened: 1 6 6 6 4 6. Need one from the last over. 11:36 PM IST: What's wrong with Mohammed Siraj. Leaks runs aplenty, drops catches and now the second beamer. He's been sent off. Into his third over and already leaving after three balls, with the third one resulting in a six and a no ball to the boot for height. Marcus Stoinis to complete the over, and Andre Russell gets into the act. Hit two sixes, meaning three maximums on the trot from the ball no 3 to ball no 4. 18 off two balls. Followed by a wide. Then, sanity prevailed. But still, 23 runs from the over. KKR 176/5. RCB's Navdeep Saini, right, celebrates the dismissal of KKR captain Dinesh Karthik, left. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) 11:28 PM IST: KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik shows his class, or it seems. After hitting Navdeep Saini for a four and six, he holes out at long off, caught by Yuzvendra Chahal. 19 off 15 for the KKR captain. KKR 153/3 after 17 overs. They need another 53 from 18 balls. Saini completed his spell: 4-0-34-ft 10:20 PM IST: THAT didn't happen. But one good over for RCB. Six runs and a wicket from Chahal's last over. The spinner did his job: 4-0-24-1. KKR need another 66 runs from 24 balls. Andre Russel is there. 11:18 PM IST: One very 'happening' over. Mohammed Siraj drops another catch even as bowler Yuzvendra Chahal and skipper Virat Kohli make strange faces. But Nitish Rana wasn't the one to relent, and he ended up offering an easy catch to substitute fielder Heinrich Klaasen at sweeper cover. Then a review as the umpire gingerly raises his finger against Dinesh Karthik. Don't know what for, though. 11;13 PM IST: Virat Kohli stick with Pawan Negi and the part-timer has leaked 14 from his third over with Nitish Rana hitting a four and six. KKR-134/3 after 15 overs. 11:09 PM IST: Yuzvendra Chahal leaks six runs as the KKR batsmen started to find it difficult to score. Six singles. KKR-120/3 after 14 overs. They need another 86 runs from 36 balls. 11:03 PM IST: This is what a wicket can do. Navdeep Saini, who failed to contain the KKR batsmen earlier in the innings has tied down the two new KKR men in the centre. KKR-114/3 after 13 overs. They need 92 runs from 42 balls. Time out. 10:54 PM IST: Part-time spinner Pawan Negi gets his second wicket. Bowled Chris Lynn (43 off 31). FoW-108/3 (11.3 Over). Mohammed Siraj must be a very very happy man. KKR need 98 runs from 51 balls. 10:50 PM IST: Mohammed Siraj drops a sitter and Virat Kohli IS A fuming. That happened off the second ball of the 11th over, bowled by Marcu Stoinis. And Chris Lynn gets a life. Two balls and Nitish Rana deposited the ball into the second tier, over deep fine leg boundary. Then five overthrow runs as RCB fielders made a mess. 13 runs from the over. KKR-107/2 after 13 overs. They need another 99 runs from 54 balls. RCB captain Virat Kohli, right, celebrates with teammate Pawan Negi the dismissal of KKR's Robin Uthappa. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) 10:43 PM IST: Pawan Negi gets the much-needed breakthrough for RCB. He had Robin Uthappa caught at deep by Tim Southee. FoW-93/2 (9.5 Over). Uthappa made 33 off 25 balls. They need another 112 runs from 60 balls. Two runs and a wicket from the over. 10:41 PM IST: Mohammed Siraj seems to have lost the plot here. Two overs and 28 runs, with 19 of those coming from his second over. Chris Lynn hits the second ball, a no-ball, for a six, then Robin Uthappa follows up with two fours. KKR-92/1 after nine overs. 10:34 PM IST: Yuzvendra Chahal returns for a brilliant second over. Just five runs from it. KKR-73/1 after eight overs. Chris Lynn and Robin Uthappa are unbeaten on 33 and 23 runs respectively. Kolkata need 133 runs in 72 balls. 10:30 PM IST: Double bowling change for RCB. Mohammed Siraj into the attack, and the right-arm medium pacer concedes nine runs, including two fours. KKR-68/1 after seven overs. They need another 138 runs from 78 balls. 10:24 PM IST: Virat Kohli introduces Yuzvendra Chahal into the over. Eight runs from it, which included a six hit by Chris Lynn off the fifth ball. KKR-59/1. They need another 147 runs from 84 balls. 10:19 PM IST: Chris Lynn his Tim Southee for back to back fours, off the third and fourth balls. Then, Robin Uthappa finishes off with a four. 13 runs from the over. KKR-51/1 after five overs. They need another 155 runs from 90 balls. 10:14 PM IST: Navdeep Saini continues for his second over. Seven runs from it.<doc-sep>Vintage Kohli and de Villiers help the host put up a mammoth 205 but Knight Riders chase it down with five deliveries to spare An incredible late assault from Andre Russell powered Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a thrilling five-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) here on Friday. Russell walked in with KKR needing an improbable 67 runs off 26 balls, and then proceeded to smash RCB into submission with a breathtaking, unbeaten 13-ball 48. Shower of sixes The West Indian blasted seven sixes in a power-hitting exhibition of the highest quality, taking KKR past the finish line with five balls to spare. RCB’s disastrous campaign, meanwhile, extended to a fifth-straight loss. The home team did itself no favours by dropping four catches — Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Siraj and Virat Kohli the culprits on the field. Faced with a stiff 206-run target, KKR rode on useful knocks from Chris Lynn (43), Robin Uthappa (33) and Nitish Rana (37) to stay in the hunt. When captain Dinesh Karthik departed, leaving KKR on 153 for five, RCB was well and truly on top. But everything changed when Russell got into the act. Century partnership Earlier, after being put in, Kohli and de Villiers came good with a rapid 108-run second-wicket partnership. The duo got together after Parthiv Patel (25, 24b) was trapped in front by off-spinner Nitish Rana. Parthiv was not at his fluent best, but played his part in a 64-run opening stand with Kohli. Kohli (84, 49b, 9x4, 2x6) was in his element, striking the ball fluently. All class Two crisp cover drives off Prasidh Krishna in the very first over got him going. A short while later, Kohli dismissed Lockie Ferguson with a wristy flick and a textbook straight drive. The shots oozed class, the technique reminiscent of Sachin Tendulkar in his prime. Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli during his splendid knock during the IPL 2019 match against Kolkata Knight Riders in Bengaluru on April 5, 2019. | Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar Batting on 35, Kohli had a reprieve when Sunil Narine put down a sitter at mid-wicket. Rana got Kohli to play early at a length ball only to find the West Indian asleep at the wheel. The error would prove costly, as Kohli buckled down and extended his stay. de Villiers, too, had his share of luck. On 11, he miscued a slog off Kuldeep Yadav, lobbing it high in the air. Ferguson rushed in from long-on but couldn’t hold on. The South African then went on attack mode, smashing the bowlers to all parts of the ground. Kuldeep strikes In the 18th over, Kuldeep prised out Kohli with a terrific reflex return catch. A disappointed Kohli walked back to the hut, even as the crowd gave him a standing ovation. de Villiers holed out to long-off in the next over, giving the tricky Narine a well deserved wicket. Marcus Stoinis (28 not out, 13b, 3x4, 1x6) threw the bat around to push RCB past the 200-run mark. However, it was Russell and Knight Riders who ruled the night. Scoreboard: ROYAL CHALLENGERS Parthiv Patel lbw b Rana 25 (24b, 3x4), Virat Kohli c & b Kuldeep 84 (49b, 9x4, 2x6), A.B. de Villiers c Gill b Narine 63 (32b, 5x4, 4x6), Marcus Stoinis (not out) 28 (13b, 3x4, 1x6), Moeen Ali (not out) 0 (2b); Extras (lb-1, w-4): 5; Total (for three wkts. in 20 overs): 205. FALL OF WICKETS 1-64 (Parthiv, 7.5 overs), 2-172 (Kohli, 17.1), 3-185 (de Villiers, 18.5). KKR BOWLING Prasidh 3-0-41-0, Chawla 4-0-32-0, Narine 4-0-30-1, Ferguson 2-0-32-0, Kuldeep 4-0-31-1, Rana 2-0-22-1, Russell 1-0-16-0. KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS Chris Lynn b Negi 43 (31b, 4x4, 2x6), Sunil Narine c Negi b Saini 10 (8b, 2x4), Robin Uthappa c Southee b Negi 33 (25b, 6x4), Nitish Rana c sub b Chahal 37 (23b, 1x4, 2x6), Dinesh Karthik c Chahal b Saini 19 (15b, 1x4, 1x6), Andre Russell (not out) 48 (13b, 1x4, 7x6), Shubman Gill (not out) 3 (3b); Extras (lb-2, w-8, nb-3): 13; Total (for five wkts. in 19.1 overs): 206. FALL OF WICKETS 1-28 (Narine, 1.5 overs), 2-93 (Uthappa, 9.5), 3-108 (Lynn, 11.3), 4-139 (Rana, 15.4), 5-153 (Karthik, 16.6). RCB BOWLING Southee 4-0-61-0, Saini 4-0-34-2, Chahal 4-0-24-1, Siraj 2.2-0-36-0, Negi 3.1-0-21-2, Stoinis 1.4-0-28-0. Toss: Kolkata Knight Riders. MoM: Andre Russell. KKR won by five wickets with five balls remaining.<doc-sep>India and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Virat Kohli played one of the best shots of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 during their home match against Kolkata Knight Riders at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Friday. Put into bat first by KKR captain Dinesh Karthik, Kohli's opening partner Parthiv Patel started the innings on a positive note with a second-ball four, then the skipper hit the fifth ball for a four with such authority and class that batting great Sunil Gavaskar was forced to work to find the right words to describe it. And the best he could do was to call the shot, "Kohli's all-format shot". And bet, you will agree. It was followed by another, equally sumptuous. Watch it here: Kohli notched up his first fifty of the season with a fourth ball of the 11th over. He took 31 balls. He got out after making 84 off 49 balls with nine fours and two sixes. In the process, he also became the all-time leading IPL scorer, overtaking Chennai Super Kings legend Suresh Raina. RCB desperately need a win to halt losing streak. They have lost the Chennai Super Kings in the season opener, they tasted defeats against Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians. For in-depth, objective and more importantly balanced journalism, Click here to subscribe to Outlook Magazine<doc-sep>When Royal Challengers Bangalore meet Kolkata Knight Riders, it will be a clash between two sides which are on the opposite of the spectrum. KKR have wins under their belt, there are players who are in tune with the roles assigned to them and have a balanced squad. For RCB, however, the scenario is very different. There is confusion in the ranks over the players, their roles, the batting positions and the form of the even the overseas players. It could well be the match which will make the mountain even steeper for Kohli, it could be the match which kickstarts their campaign. It will be about specific players, their roles and their faceoffs as skippers will identify marquee players to get the job done. ALSO READ: RCB vs KKR: Kolkata Knight Riders predicted XI - Sunil Narine returns Virat Kohli vs Sunil Narine Piyush Chawla informed on the eve of the match that Sunil Narine is fit and good to go and Dinesh Karthik will toss the ball to him as soon as Virat Kohli takes guard. Kohli has managed to score only 73 runs in 76 balls from Sunil Narine and has perished twice to the West Indian. This battle in the powerplay overs could well determine the course of this match. AB de Villiers vs Piyush Chawla AB de Villiers has struggled to pick the googly this season and his record against Piyush Chawla is not entirely flattering. He averages 24.92 against KKR in 18 matches - the lowest for him against any opponent. Against Piyush Chawla, the numbers are quite dismal. He has scored only 45 runs in 46 balls and has been dismissed 4 times over the season. Another huge matchup and the personal winning this duel could well win the match for his side. ALSO READ: RCB vs KKR: Kolkata Knight Riders predicted XI - Sunil Narine returns Dinesh Karthik vs Umesh Yadav Dinesh Karthik has been a fine batsman for KKR over the last couple of seasons. He has the game to adapt according to the situation and this is where he holds the key in the middle order. His record against Umesh Yadav is remarkable and has dominated RCB’s pace spearhead. Karthik has faced 32 balls from Umesh Yadav and has smoked 60 runs at a strike rate of 187.50. Umesh has been in good form this season, but against a confident Karthik, he task will be cut out. Robin Uthappa vs Yuzvendra Chahal Over the past seasons, Chahal has bowled 30 deliveries to Robin Uthappa and has conceded 39 runs. He has dismissed him once which makes this battle a balanced one and hence, both players would be keen to walk away with bragging rights once the match ends. Kuldeep Yadav vs Shimron Hetmyer Hetmyer came into this IPL with a lot of expectations but has not been able to translate them into performances so far. However, he has the talent and the game to dominate the spinners which could make Kohli give him an extended rope. The left-hander dominated Kuldeep Yadav in the ODI series against India and RCB would hope for more of the same in this match. Watch: The Simon Katich interview<doc-sep>
Andre Russell came up with another sensational display of power hitting to fire Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a five-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at Bengaluru on Friday. (HIGHLIGHTS | POINTS TABLE | SCHEDULE | 2019 ELECTION SPECIAL) Needing 66 runs off 24 balls, KKR were up against it before Russell came in and smashed an unbeaten 48 off 13 balls to complete the job with five balls to spare. His breathtaking knock comprised seven sixes and one four. Russell's brutal hitting came after Virat Kohli (84 off 49) and AB de Villiers (63 off 32) recreated their "magic" with a delightful 108-run stand to take RCB to 205 for three. The result means KKR have now won three out of their four games while RCB are have lost five in a row and are heading towards another sorry season. KKR were kept alive in the chase through opener Chris Lynn (43 off 31), Robbie Uthappa (33 off 25) and Nitish Rana (37 off 23) before Russell singlehandedly got the job done in the death overs. A pedestrian bowling effort from RCB pacers also helped KKR's cause. RCB spinners Pawan Negi (2/21) and Yuzvendra Chahal (1/24) bowled well and were able to generate sharp turn, putting brakes on the KKR scoring rate. Earlier, Kohli and de Villiers hammered the bowlers at will during their entertaining stand. At one stage, it seemed RCB would get close to 250 but KKR did well to pull things back a bit on a batting beauty. During his sublime knock, Kohli also overtook Suresh Raina to become the leading run-getter in IPL history besides completing 8000 runs in T20 cricket. The RCB skipper hit some beautiful cover drives early on and his innings comprised nine fours and two sixes. De Villiers too was in his element, smashing five fours and four maximums. Kohli was finally out in the 18th over off Kuldeep Yadav as he hit the ball straight into the bowler's hands. He was particularly severe on Prasidh Krishna, Lockie Fergusson and Nitesh Rana. De Villiers played second fiddle to Kohli before cutting loose to produce some massive hits. In the last over, Marcus Stoinis belted 18 runs off Prasidh with the help of two boundaries and a six, pushing the total past 200 mark. Needing a good start desperately, Parthiv Patel and Kohli gave a good start for first time in the tournament, stitching 64 runs for the first wicket in 7.5 overs. Patel was LBW to Nitesh Rana after scoring 25 off 24 balls with three boundaries to his credit. (PTI) For in-depth, objective and more importantly balanced journalism, Click here to subscribe to Outlook Magazine