The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) posted a daunting 224 runs on the board in the first innings of their high-scoring IPL encounter against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) here on Tuesday.
KKR opener Philip Salt was dismissed early for 10 by Avesh Khan. However, Sunil Narine stole the show with a blistering 109 runs off just 56 balls, including nine boundaries and six sixes. His innings, at a strike rate of 194.64, provided KKR with a strong foundation.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi played a crucial supporting role with a brisk 30 runs off 18 balls (3 boundaries, 1 six) to accelerate the scoring. Captain Shreyas Iyer contributed 11 runs off 7 balls before being trapped lbw by Yuzvendra Chahal.
Andre Russell lived up to his reputation for explosive batting with a quickfire 13 runs off 10 deliveries. The highlight of the innings was the unbeaten partnership between Rinku Singh and Venkatesh Iyer, who ensured KKR finished strong. Singh's aggressive knock of 20 runs off 9 balls and Iyer's composed 8 runs off 6 balls propelled KKR to a commanding total of 223/6 in their 20 overs.
With contributions from multiple batsmen and Narine's sensational century leading the way, KKR's first innings was a display of power-hitting and calculated aggression. RR now faces a challenging chase in their quest to secure victory.
