Cricket
Follow highlights from match 3 of TATA IPL 2024 between KKR and SRH here.
Updated : Mar 23, 2024, 11:29 PM IST
Shreyas Iyer's return from a lengthy injury layoff will be the center of attention as the two highest-priced signings in IPL history, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, prepare to face off in Kolkata Knight Riders' opening match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the iconic Eden Gardens today.
Iyer, who missed the entire previous season due to a back injury, is back to lead KKR, who have made strategic additions while maintaining the core of their team.
Gautam Gambhir, KKR's most successful former captain, has returned as a mentor for the team. His partnership with head coach Chandrakant Pandit, known for his tactical acumen in the domestic circuit, will be crucial for KKR's resurgence.
On the other hand, SRH has undergone a change in captaincy with Cummins taking on the leadership role. The 2016 champions had a disappointing season last year, finishing 10th, and are now banking on Cummins' leadership skills. Cummins had a remarkable 2023, leading Australia to two world titles, and SRH hopes he can replicate that success in the IPL.
Harshit Rana is set to deliver the final over, with Klassen facing. A powerful SIX from Klassen showcases his skill, sending the ball soaring over deep mid-wicket, leaving only seven runs needed from five balls. However, Klassen's next hit results in just a single run. Harshit then bowls to Ahmed, who is caught out by skipper Shreyas Iyer after miscuing his pull shot. The pressure is on as new batter Marco Jansen takes the field, immediately giving Klassen the strike. Unfortunately, Klassen is also caught out after an outside edge, with Suyash Sharma making a remarkable catch. The game takes a dramatic turn as skipper Pat Cummins steps up to bat, requiring a maximum hit to secure victory for SRH. With five runs needed from one ball, Cummins swings and misses, failing to make contact despite the opportunity presented.
KKR 208/7 (20)
SRH 204/7 (20)
Harshit Rana is set to deliver the final over, with Klassen facing. A powerful SIX from Klassen showcases his skill, sending the ball soaring over deep mid-wicket, leaving only seven runs needed from five balls. However, Klassen's next hit results in just a single run. Harshit then bowls to Ahmed, who is caught out by skipper Shreyas Iyer after miscuing his pull shot. The pressure is on as new batter Marco Jansen takes the field, immediately giving Klassen the strike. Unfortunately, Klassen is also caught out after an outside edge, with Suyash Sharma making a remarkable catch. The game takes a dramatic turn as skipper Pat Cummins steps up to bat, requiring a maximum hit to secure victory for SRH. With five runs needed from one ball, Cummins swings and misses, failing to make contact despite the opportunity presented.
KKR 208/7 (20)
SRH 204/7 (20)
Andre Russell has returned to the attack. A powerful shot from Samad sails over deep mid-wicket for a six. The Sunrisers desperately needed boundaries, and Samad delivers with a four down the ground. Unfortunately, Russell manages to dismiss Samad.
Suyash Sharma is now in the attack. A powerful shot from Tripathi as he slogs sweeps the ball over the midwicket fence for a six. Markram follows with a four, hitting a slightly short ball outside off through extra cover for a boundary.
Russell is back in the attack. A boundary! The ball was slightly wide, and Abhishek managed to guide it behind backward point, sending it racing to the fence for four runs. However, the next delivery resulted in a wicket. Abhishek attempted a pull shot on a short ball, but unfortunately, he only succeeded in finding Varun at deep fine leg.
Harshit Rana delivers from the other end. A powerful shot from Mayank as he lofts the ball straight back over the bowler for a boundary. There is a strong appeal for LBW as Mayank plays across the line. The umpire deliberates before finally raising his finger. A review is requested. Upon review, it is determined that the ball was missing the leg stump, and Mayank survives.
Natarajan is set to bowl the final over. A breakthrough! Rinku attempts to pull a ball outside off, but only succeeds in finding Markram in the deep. The partnership has been broken.
A boundary! A low full toss allows Starc to punch the ball through the offside for four runs. A yorker to Russell, who manages to guide it down to long off for a single. Starc goes for a big shot, but the ball falls short of the long off fielder. Another yorker, and Russell punches it to long on as KKR finishes on a formidable total of 208 runs.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar continues his spell. A full toss on the pads is elegantly flicked through midwicket for a boundary. However, a no ball is called, resulting in a free hit. The following delivery is a perfect yorker, which Rinku Singh manages to squeeze out for a single. The next ball is dispatched for a six as Bhuvneshwar goes short, and Andre Russell's powerful pull shot carries the ball well over the fence. This boundary brings up Russell's half-century.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar makes his return to the bowling attack. The ball is delivered outside the off stump, and Rinku Singh expertly guides it to backward point for a single. A powerful swing from Andre Russell results in a massive six as the ball lands in the hitting arc. Another boundary is scored as Russell pulls a back of length delivery through deep midwicket for four runs. A single is then taken to long off. Rinku Singh adds to the total with a well-placed shot through the gap between short fine leg and point for another four off a low full toss wide outside off stump.
Mayank Markande is in his third over. A powerful shot from Salt as he cuts the half-tracked delivery over extra cover to reach his fifty. However, his innings comes to an end as Marco Jansen covers good ground and dives to his right to take a brilliant catch.
Marco Jansen bowled a delivery that Salt drove straight, earning a couple of runs. Jansen then bowled to Nitish, creating a chance for a catch. Rana attempted to clear the infield with a rock back shot, but Abdul Samad leaped for the ball, only managing to get a hand on it.
OUT!! Natarajan delivers a full and wide ball, which Venkatesh drives directly into the hands of Jansen at cover. Shreyas Iyer is the next batsman in. Another WICKET!! The captain is dismissed for a duck on the second ball. Iyer attempts to loft a length delivery over mid-off, but Cummins makes a fantastic catch.
Marco Jansen delivers the second over. He pitches it full to Narine, who manages to sneak a single to mid-on. Next ball, Salt attempts a flick but misses. Suddenly, a powerful hit sends the ball soaring over the fence for a six! Jansen then bowls a wide, allowing Salt to effortlessly loft it over the offside for another six. The pattern continues with Salt hitting two more sixes in a row, showcasing his impressive form. However, the excitement is short-lived as Sunil Narine falls victim to a miscommunication with Salt. Narine is left stranded after being sent back by Salt, resulting in a direct hit from the fielder.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): Mayank Agarwal, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen(w), Abdul Samad, Shahbaz Ahmed, Marco Jansen, Pat Cummins(c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Markande, T Natarajan
Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Philip Salt(w), Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer(c), Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy
Pat Cummins: We gonna have a bowl, wicket looks pretty good. Jansen, Klaasen and Markram are the other three. This is my first game for Sunrisers, it's been awesome in the camp to the lead-up and the confidence is really high in the group.
Shreyas Iyer: Feel fantastic (talking about his recovery from back injury). I have been training well and played a few games as well. The spinners have been bowling tremendously over the past few seasons and all of them are lethal in their own way. I see a bit of dryness on this wicket and hopefully it will help them. Salt, Narine, Russell and Starc are playing today.
The last time Mitchell Starc participated in the IPL was in 2015, where he played for RCB and took 20 wickets in 13 games with an economy rate of 6.76. However, since then, Starc has struggled in the shortest format of the game, conceding an average of 8.14 runs per over in 41 T20Is.
SRH: Mayank Agarwal, Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen(w), Washington Sundar, Abdul Samad, Pat Cummins(c), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, Umran Malik, Rahul Tripathi, Glenn Phillips, Jaydev Unadkat, Anmolpreet Singh, Upendra Yadav, Mayank Markande, Jhatavedh Subramanyan, Sanvir Singh, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Marco Jansen, Shahbaz Ahmed, Akash Maharaj Singh, Nitish Reddy
KKR: Philip Salt(w), Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer(c), Nitish Rana, Andre Russell, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Sunil Narine, Mitchell Starc, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Manish Pandey, Srikar Bharat, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Anukul Roy, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Chetan Sakariya, Sherfane Rutherford, Vaibhav Arora, Dushmantha Chameera, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sakib Hussain, Suyash Sharma