Twitter Erupts As Riyan Parag-Inspired Royals Beat Kolkata Knight Riders

Chasing 176, the Royals started well with Ajinkya Rahane and Sanju Samson 53 runs in just 31 balls. However, the chase soon fell off the track when both the openers departed in quick succession. The visitors soon found themselves 5 down for just 98. Riyan Parag and Shreyas Gopal revived the hopes with a 25-run stand before Prasidh Krishna dismissed the latter.

The equation was finally down to 46 runs from the final four overs. Parag then starred with the bat and almost sealed the game for his before being hit wicket for 47 off just 31 balls. The Royals eventually won the game with 4 balls remaining.

Read More: IPL 2019: Updated Points Table, Orange Cap & Purple Cap Lists

Six! And that's the game!

The @rajasthanroyals win by 3 wickets ?? pic.twitter.com/CrZIXZkyTi

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 25, 2019

Earlier in the game, Dinesh Karthik led from the front, scoring an unbeaten 97 from 50 balls to help Kolkata Knight Riders to 175 for 6 off their 20 overs. Asked to bat first, the Knight Riders were off to a disastrous start with Varun Aaron sending back openers Chris Lynn and Shubman Gill cheaply. Nitish Rana departed soon too as Knight Riders found themselves 3 down for just 43 and later 4 for 80.

To make the matters worse, their in-form star Andre Russell could also score only 14.

However, Karthik held firm from one end and remained unbeaten to take the Knight Riders to a competitive total. It was also his highest score in the IPL and the highest for Knight Riders since Brendon McCullum hit the famous 158* in the very first game of the tournament in 2008. Karthik hit his 18th half-century off 35 balls. But he changed gears towards the end of the innings to give Knight Riders’ bowlers something to bowl with.

Read More: IPL 2019, Match 43: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals – Statistical Highlights

Karthik was batting on 66 off 41 balls at the end of the 18th over, In the next over from Jofra Archer, Karthik hit 2 sixes off the final 2 balls to move to 80. In the final over of the innings bowled by Jaydev Unadkat, he hit 4, 6 and 6. He needed another 4 off the final ball to get to a hundred but he only managed a single.

Here is how Twitter reacted to the match:

Oh DK! You are so good! What an innings! ???
And thanks for talking to us immediately after the innings despite being exhausted. ??#StarSports #KKRvRR

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) April 25, 2019

Riyan Parag has done enough to be backed and played all games going ahead

— Nikhil ? (@CricCrazyNIKS) April 25, 2019

#KKRvRR
DK to all those who questioned his #CWC19 selection : pic.twitter.com/isWfU2WwPI

— Chandler Bing (@SarcasmChamp) April 25, 2019

Narine magic on display at the Eden Gardens!??

Sunil Narine : 3-0-10-2 #ISF #VIVOIPL #KKRvRR #KKR#RR pic.twitter.com/XqA1E6VfcU

— Indian Sports Fans (@IndianSportFan) April 25, 2019

Narine celebrating a wkt shows how bad KKR's bowling been this IPL.

— arfan (@Im__Arfan) April 25, 2019

DYK? Piyush Chawla becomes the first #KKR bowler to take a three-wicket haul in an #IPL match this season!
Bowlers from the other seven sides have already managed to do this. #IPL2019#KKRvRR

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) April 25, 2019

https://twitter.com/FPLWarrioR/status/1121470122160472064

Ft. Russell can do anything.

Complete T20 package!?

KKR is all set to end the victory drought, thanks to the spin duo of Chawla and Narine. ?#ISF #VIVOIPL #KKRvRR #KKR #KKRHaiTaiyaar pic.twitter.com/F4ML3IbjXJ

— Indian Sports Fans (@IndianSportFan) April 25, 2019

You've got to wonder who was the brains behind dishing out that kind of money on Ben Stokes and Jaydev Unadkat. #IPL2019 #KKRvRR

— Aatreya (@AatreyaBhat) April 25, 2019