04 May, 2025 | 06:53 PM

Andre Russell produced a late-innings masterclass, smashing an unbeaten 57 off just 25 balls to propel Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a formidable 206 for 4 against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at Eden Gardens. Promoted to No. 5, Russell turned the game on its head in the final overs after a lull in the middle phase.

Coming to the crease with just over seven overs remaining, Russell initially struggled, scoring only 2 off his first 9 balls. However, once the pacers returned, he exploded into form, hitting two fours and two sixes in the space of six deliveries.

The key moment came in the 18th over, when Maheesh Theekshana, returning to bowl spin with subtle variations in pace and length, was met with brutal resistance. Russell smashed him for three consecutive sixes, from cow corner to long-off, leaving RR scrambling for answers.

RR's death bowling further unraveled in the final overs. Jofra Archer was dispatched for multiple boundaries, and despite creating a catching opportunity, Riyan Parag put down Russell at long-off. Akash Madhwal, entrusted with the final over, began with three wides before Rinku Singh joined the assault, finishing the innings with a four and two sixes.

Earlier in the innings, KKR made a brisk start. Sunil Narine and Rahmanullah Gurbaz frequently stepped leg-side to manufacture scoring opportunities. Narine launched a full toss for six before being bowled by Yudhvir Singh, who mixed his lengths well. However, Yudhvir was expensive in his second over, conceding 15 as Gurbaz continued to improvise.

Ajinkya Rahane showcased elegance with a straight six off Madhwal followed by a fine flick for four, while Gurbaz kept the tempo up with inventive shot-making in a powerplay that yielded 56 runs.

However, RR's spinners fought back between overs six and ten, with Theekshana removing Gurbaz via a slog sweep and the run rate dipping to just 30 runs in that period. Rahane stalled, making just 11 off his final 14 balls after a promising start.

Youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi offered some stability, managing a boundary an over, but the innings lost momentum until Riyan Parag struck with a clever under-cutter to dismiss Rahane. That dismissal paved the way for Russell’s promotion – a move that would decisively tilt the innings in KKR’s favor.

With 95 runs coming off the last seven overs, KKR have posted a challenging 207-run target for RR.