In a nail-biting finish at the Eden Gardens on March 23, 2024, Kolkata Knight Riders secured a narrow 4 run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Andre Russell's explosive knock (64 not out off 25 balls) laid the foundation for KKR's imposing total of 208.
However, the heroics of Heinrich Klaasen, who smashed a 29-ball 63 with eight sixes, almost snatched victory for SRH.
A look at the best batters of the match:
Andre Russell
Russell turned on the afterburners in a spectacular display of power-hitting, rescuing KKR from a precarious position and propelling them to a daunting total of 208.
Entering at a critical juncture with the scoreboard reading 123/5, Russell wasted no time. He launched a brutal assault on bowlers, particularly Mayank Markande and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Three sixes in just five balls off Markande were a mere taster for the carnage to come.
Bhuvi, who started economically, was taken to the cleaners in his final two overs. Russell rained sixes (7 in total) and fours (3) at will, reaching a belligerent fifty in a mere 20 balls.
It was a masterclass in clean hitting, leaving the bowlers hapless.
In tandem with Rinku Singh, Russell stitched together a rapidfire 81-run partnership off just 32 balls, completely changing the momentum of the innings.
KKR raced from 150 in 16.3 overs to a mammoth 200 in 19, thanks largely to Russell's mayhem.
Though Rinku departed shortly after, Russell remained unbeaten on a breathtaking 64 off 25 balls. His innings single-handedly took the game away from SRH, showcasing his devastating power-hitting capabilities once again.
Phil Salt
KKR got off to a flying start courtesy Phil Salt.
He launched a brutal assault on Marco Jansen, clattering three consecutive sixes in the second over. His aggressive intent was clear, but a run-out on the last ball of the same over -- with team-mate Sunil Narine -- halted the momentum.
Undeterred, Salt rebuilt alongside Nitish Rana, reaching a cautious fifty-run partnership.
However, Rana's dismissal left him with the rebuilding task once again. This time, he found a willing partner in Ramandeep Singh. The duo took the attack to the bowlers, particularly Pat Cummins and Markande, stitching together a rapidfire 50 in just 27 balls. Salt, the aggressor in both partnerships, reached his own well-deserved fifty in just 38 balls.
His entertaining knock was cut short as he was dismissed by Markande with Jansen taking a good catch.
Ramandeep Singh
Stepping into the fray at a precarious 51/4, debutant Ramandeep Singh wasn't fazed. He transformed the KKR innings from a stuttering crawl into a fiery assault.
Four successive overs, four different bowlers -- Cummins, Markande, Jansen and Shahbaz Ahmed -- all felt the wrath of his power hitting. Sixes rained down -- a boundary sprinkled in for good measure. It was a whirlwind 17-ball cameo, a vital 35 runs that breathed life back into the KKR innings.
While Salt, his partner at the crease, had begun explosively with three sixes off Jansen, he was forced to temper his aggression after early wickets. But Ramandeep was a different story. He relished the short-ball tactics employed by Sunrisers' captain Pat Cummins and Jansen, fearlessly pulling them for towering sixes. His six off Shahbaz in the 12th over epitomised his aggressive approach.
Ramandeep's quickfire knock, with its emphasis on six-hitting, was the spark that reignited KKR's innings.
Heinrich Klaasen
Klaasen's late blitz almost single-handedly snatched victory from the jaws of defeat for Sunrisers.
Entering at a precarious 102 needed off 42 balls, Klaasen started cautiously. He soon found his rhythm against spinner Varun Chakravarthy, smashing two sixes in the 14th over. This was just a taste of what was to come.
When the target seemed improbable (60 off 18 balls), Klaasen exploded. Facing Mitchell Starc in the 19th over, he launched a brutal assault, hammering three sixes in a row to bring up a 25 ball fifty. This incredible 12-ball onslaught swung the momentum dramatically.
With just 13 required off the final over, victory seemed within reach.
However, tragedy struck for SRH as Klaasen, just after his eighth six of the innings, was dismissed by Harshit Rana. This crucial wicket, followed by Shahbaz's dismissal in the same over, extinguished their hopes.
Despite a valiant effort from Klaasen, Sunrisers fell short by four runs, their incredible late fightback ultimately ending in heartbreak.
KKR Vs SRH: Who Played The Best Knock?
