In an electrifying encounter, Jos Buttler showcased his extraordinary talent, nearly single-handedly steering the Rajasthan Royals to a monumental chase of 224 against the Kolkata Knight Riders. With a blistering unbeaten knock of 107 off just 60 balls, Buttler etched his name in IPL history, battling through cramps in the final over to secure victory for RR.
The England captain’s heroic innings not only propelled RR to victory but also equaled their own record for the highest successful run chase in IPL history, a record they had set just the previous year. In a tense final over, Buttler launched a six off the first ball, only to turn down runs off the next four deliveries, setting up a thrilling conclusion with RR needing three runs off the last two balls. Despite his physical discomfort, Buttler managed to hobble two runs off the penultimate ball and secured the winning single off the last, sealing RR’s record-equalling chase.
Earlier in the match, Sunil Narine stole the spotlight for KKR, matching the record for the fastest IPL century by a Kolkata Knight Riders player. Narine’s explosive innings, particularly targeting the spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin, saw him reach his century in just 49 balls, his maiden century in senior cricket. Narine’s onslaught eventually came to an end in the 18th over, bowled by Trent Boult, after he amassed a staggering 109 runs off 56 deliveries, propelling KKR to a formidable total of 223/6 batting first.
Opting to bat first after RR captain Sanju Samson won the toss, KKR faced a formidable challenge against RR’s potent bowling attack. Despite a solid start from the opening pair of Phil Salt and Sunil Narine, KKR found themselves contained by RR’s bowlers. Salt’s dismissal in the fourth over, courtesy of a spectacular catch by Avesh Khan off his own bowling, provided RR with an early breakthrough. However, Narine’s resilience in the latter overs, supported by Angkrish Raghuvanshi, propelled KKR past the 100-run mark within the first 10 overs, setting the stage for a thrilling contest.
