RCB WON
T20
RCB beat KKR by 10 runs
Man of the Match - Virat Kohli
RCB
213-4
20.0/20 Ovrs
 
203-5
20.0/20 Ovrs
KKR
Indian Premier League, 2019 |Match 35 |4/19/2019
Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Commentary
  • So that is all from here, folks! We have had an excellent game of cricket here in Kolkata. Bangalore have managed to hold on to a win by the skin of their teeth and have gone to 4 points but remain last on the table. Kolkata, on the other hand, have lost 4 on the bounce. They will look to come hard the next game which they play on Sunday but before that there is a double-header coming your way on Saturday. Rajasthan host Mumbai in the day game which will begin at 1600 local (1030 GMT) while Delhi await Punjab at the Kotla in the night game that begins at 2000 local (1430 GMT). See you for the coverage of the same. Till then, take care and cheers. Goodnight!
  • Man of the Match and Bangalore skipper, Virat Kohli says that it felt good after winning the game here in Kolkata. Laughs while saying it feels good to not give an interview right after the match as the losing skipper. He credits the way Stoinis bowled the 19th over feels the 3 dot balls the Aussie bowled in that over were very crucial. Virat admits at one time that they were looking for 170 and never felt they could get close to 200 while batting but says that the way Moeen batted and Stoinis playing a cameo took them to the total. States that Mo communicated to him and told him that he was going after it and that changed the game completely. Mentions that being a senior player, he wanted to play deep as AB de Villiers was not there but once again showers praise on Moeen for taking the pressure of him. Reckons that death overs are always crucial in places like Eden Gardens where the outfield is very quick especially with the way Russell is hitting the ball this season. He signs off by saying that it was always going to be very crucial how they bowl in the end but getting wickets in the start was also important as it sets the way they want to play the game.
  • Marcus Stoinis in an interview agrees that Andre Russell is a brilliant player and can win games single-handedly. He mentions that the season has not been great but these kind of games have to be won and they gives confidence and momentum going ahead in the tournament. He mentions that he enjoys the contest and tries to bowl to his plans, while trying not to get too predictable and to bowl the best ball one can.
  • Kolkata skipper, Dinesh Karthik says that Moeen took the game away from them a little bit with the way he batted. Feels they could have bowled well at that stage but credits the way the Englishman batted. Informs us that at the halfway stage he he felt that it was 15-20 more than they should have conceded. Dinesh reckons the new ball had a bit in it as it was sticking on to the pitch and it was not easy to play strokes for the batsmen. Admits that it was hard for the spinners to bowl in this pitch and feels their spinner got taken away for too many. Also states they had a plan to attack the opposition spinners. He thinks that it is a matter of playing one or two good games and finding the winning momentum.
  • Coming to the bowling, it was a decent show from the Bangalore men till the partnership between Rana and Russell. Stoinis especially bowled a terrific first three balls in the 19th over which put a huge load of pressure on the batsmen. Thus, in the end the blitzkrieg from Russell was not enough. Earlier on in the evening, a brilliant hundred from Virat Kohli and a smashing 66 from Ali and a cameo from Stoinis meant that Bangalore got a total which would be really difficult to chase even on this ground where it has become really hard to defend. Thus, the visitors also got their second win of the season. Incredible exhibition of cricket with the emotions flying high!
  • Chasing a target of 214, Kolkata did not get off to the best of starts and lost Lynn cheaply. Narine played his shots while he was out there in the middle but he too departed along with Gill inside the Powerplay. Robin Uthappa and Nitish Rana then joined hands but even as the latter kept the scoreboard ticking, Uthappa struggled and eventually fell for a very slow innings of 9 off 20 balls. In walked Russell and the game turned on its head. The ropes were being cleared at will and once again it looked like Virat Kohli's men would mess up a defense but somehow in the end, they held their nerve and the target was too much for the hosts to achieve.
  • What a humdinger we have had here in Kolkata! Bangalore won it in the end by 10 runs but the game was not over till the 4th ball of the final over when Russell missed one finally and that ensured that the score cannot be chased down. Rana and Russell had almost got their team over the line with 76 runs needed in the last 4 overs but Moeen Ali kept his calm and defended the 23 runs which were in the bag in the final over.
  • 19.6
    6
    M Ali to N Rana, SIX! But that won't be enough! BANGALORE WIN BY 10 RUNS! A flighted ball landing full outside off, Rana gives it the full whack of his bat and sends it flying over long off. Smiles in the Bangalore camp. They have survived the Russell onslaught this time. Spare a thought for Nitish Rana, what a knock he played! Absolutely amazing game of cricket.
  • 19.5
    W
    M Ali to A Russell, OUT! Run out! Russell departs. The game was already over but there was no way that Bangalore could breathe easy when this man was out there. A low full toss on middle, Russell slaps it to deep mid-wicket and finds the fielder at long on. Russell runs slowly and Virat takes advantage of that by throwing it to Ali at the bowler's end who removes the bails. Russell knows that he is out and runs off and the replays too show the same.
  • Appeal for a run out! Andre Russell is seen walking but the umpire still wants to get it checked upstairs...
  • 19.4
    0
    M Ali to A Russell, Misses! And that is the game! Well, it should be! A flighted ball outside off, Russell goes for the huge slog but misses the ball and Parthiv collects it well under pressure. Kohli is jumping up and down in excitement. Moeen needs to make sure that he does not bowl a no ball now.
  • 19.3
    6
    M Ali to A Russell, SIX! Here comes the first one... He needs to hit the remaining ones over the fence too. Moeen drops it short and on off, Russell latches onto it and hoists it over the bowler's head for a maximum.
  • 19.2
    1
    M Ali to N Rana, Too full and on middle, hit across the line to deep mid-wicket for a run. 23 needed off 4 balls. If anyone can, it's the man on strike...
  • 19.1
    0
    M Ali to N Rana, Excellent ball to start off! Rana gets inside the line and looks to hit it over fine leg but misses the ball. The ball just whizzes past leg stump. Not given a wide as the batsman moved out of his position.
  • END OF OVER 19 | 19 Runs & 0 Wkt | KKR 190/4
  • 24 needed off 6 balls. This is going right down to the wire. You can cut the tension here with a knife. Yuzvendra Chahal has one over left. But Virat Kohli has taken a punt on Moeen Ali. Big call, this.
  • 18.6
    6
    M Stoinis to A Russell, SIX! Three in a row! How has this one gone for a maximum? Almost in the blockhole, Russell looks to smash this over long on but the bat turns in his hand and the ball still travels over long off. It clears the rope and Kolkata still believe due to the power of this man!
  • 18.5
    6
    M Stoinis to A Russell, SIX! Huge! Two in two! Stoinis misses his mark once more. Russell smashes it over long off. The ball goes way back into the crowd. 30 needed off 7 balls now. That six also brought up the fifty for Russell. The 100-run partnership comes up as well!
  • 18.4
    6
    M Stoinis to A Russell, SIX! Russell has murdered this delivery! It's hit with brute force! Stoinis delivers it short and on off, Russell is waiting for that, as soon as the ball reaches in his zone, he has pulverized it over mid-wicket.
  • 18.3
    0
    M Stoinis to A Russell, What a brilliant over this has been so far. Another dot ball! Stoinis bowls the bouncer and Russell ducks under it to evade the ball at the last moment. 42 needed off 9 balls now.
  • 18.2
    0
    M Stoinis to A Russell, Low full toss on middle, Russell hammers it but straight to extra cover. Ali under pressure makes an excellent stop. Dot ball again! 42 off 10 needed.
  • 18.2
    1wd
    M Stoinis to A Russell, Wide! Stoinis tries for the same ball again but this time Russell evades it this time. Wided! 42 off 11.
  • 18.1
    0
    M Stoinis to A Russell, Excellent ball under pressure! Full on the pads, Russell leaves it thinking it would be a wide but the ball takes the pad and goes fine on the leg side. Runs can't be taken as there was no shot offered. Dot ball! 43 off 11.
  • END OF OVER 18 | 18 Runs & 0 Wkt | KKR 171/4
  • 43 needed off 12 balls. Last time against Bangalore, Kolkata needed 30 off 12 balls and Russell finished it with five balls remaining. What's the script today? Marcus Stoinis to bowl the all-important over...