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The opening night of the IPL 2024 at Eden Gardens was a nail-biting affair for Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) fans. Though not a dominant performance, KKR displayed true grit and teamwork to pull off a dramatic four-run victory against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Despite early batting struggles that saw the top order falter, Phil Salt steadied the ship with a well-earned half-century. As he departed, the explosive Andre Russell took over, scorching a blistering 64 runs off just 25 balls with a flurry of sixes and fours. This late surge propelled KKR to a respectable total of 208 runs.
However, the challenge was far from over. SRH's Heinrich Klaasen was in no mood to spare KKR as he almost single-handedly snatched victory away with a valiant batting display. He single-mindedly dragged the chase close, but in the end, it was a combined effort from Russell (with the ball) and the young pacer Harshit Rana who sealed the deal for KKR, securing a thrilling four-run win for the two-time champions.
Gautam Gambhir thrilled after KKR's stunning win
Right after Harshit Rana led his team to stunning victory over SRH, KKR mentor and former skipper Gautam Gambhir took to X (former known as Twitter) to express that how faith and determination till the end helped the two-time champions seal the match.
“Faith and determination till the end! #AmiKKR,” Gambhir wrote on X.
Harshit Rana stars in KKR's thrilling win
Hyderabad's chase of a daunting total on a pitch perfect for batting took a dramatic turn. They found themselves precariously placed at 145/5, needing a staggering 61 runs off just 19 balls when Heinrich Klaasen walked in to bat. The South African batsman arrived in scorching form, taking the IPL's most expensive signing, Mitchell Starc, to the cleaners. He smashed three sixes off the Australian quick, while Bengal's Shahbaz Ahmed added another six to end Starc's over. That one over yielded a staggering 26 runs for Hyderabad, but more importantly exposed Starc's struggles. The left-arm pacer, who joined KKR for a record-breaking fee of Rs 24.75 crore, ended the spell with figures of 0 wickets for 53 runs in just 4 overs.
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With just 13 runs needed off the final over, KKR took a gamble by handing the ball to their young pacer, Harshit Rana. The gamble initially seemed to backfire as Rana conceded seven runs off the first two deliveries. However, he showed remarkable composure, dismissing both Shahbaz Ahmed and the dangerous Klaasen. The dismissal of Klaasen, a superb catch by Suyash Sharma at backward point, sealed a heart-stopping victory for the KKR.
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