IMAGES from the IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday
Andre Russell roared back to form with a blistering unbeaten fifty as Kolkata Knight Riders resisted Riyan Parag's stunning 95 to edge out Rajasthan Royals by one-run in an IPL thriller that kept the defending champions' slim playoff hopes alive in Kolkata on Sunday.
Russell, who had been under scrutiny for his indifferent form this season, smashed a 25-ball 57 as KKR smashed 85 runs in the last five overs to post a commanding 206/4.
In reply, Rajasthan found themselves in tatters at 71/5 inside eight overs and they needed 105 runs from the last 48 balls, before stand-in skipper Parag kept their hopes alive through his knock off 45 balls (6x4, 8x6).
But smart bowling changes from skipper Ajinkya Rahane ensured that Parag got out five short of his maiden IPL century, before Vaibhav Arora held his nerves under pressure in the final over, keeping RR down to 205/8.
The Royals required 22 runs off the last over but Impact Shubham Dubey launched Arora for two sixes and a four to bring the equation down to three runs off the final delivery.
But a smart field switch by Rahane placing Rinku Singh at long-off proved decisive as his sharp throw found Arora at non-striker's end who ran out Jofra Archer to seal the thrilling win.
KKR now have 11 points from as many games and have moved up to sixth on the points table but still need to win the remaining three matches to have a sniff at the play-offs.
Before the tense finale, RR's chase began in ominous fashion. Vaibhav Suryavanshi (4) departed in the first over and Kunal Singh Rathore followed for a duck, leaving Royals reeling at 8/2 in the second over.
However, Parag injected urgency with three crisp boundaries and two sixes. Yashasvi Jaiswal (34 off 21 balls) unsettled Varun Chakravarthy with back-to-back fours as Royals recovered to maintain a healthy run-rate of just under 10 in the Power Play.
While Harshit Rana leaked 28 runs in two overs and Arora too was expensive, KKR turned to spin twins Moeen Ali and Chakravarthy who turned the game around, sharing four wickets between them to reduce Royals to 71/5.
Moeen broke the rhythm of RR, dismissing Jaiswal. Rinku sprinted in from long-on and completed a sharp diving catch to give KKR the breakthrough.
Rahane then made a smart call to bring back Chakravarthy from the other end and it paid off immediately. The mystery spinner bowled a game-changing over, striking twice in three balls, cleaning up Dhruv Jurel and Wanindu Hasaranga with googlies.
But what followed was absolute carnage with Parag launching into Moeen in the 13th over, smashing the off-spinner for five consecutive sixes in a jaw-dropping 32-run over.
In the process, Parag raced to his maiden fifty of the season in just 27 balls and added 92 runs for the sixth wicket with Shimron Hetmyer.
But Narine's tidy last over heaped pressure on both the batters as Rana dismissed Hetmyer with a lifter in the next over. With 38 runs needed off the last 18 balls, Parag went big but holed out to Arora at long-on.
Earlier, the big-hitting Andre Russell regained his mojo, slamming a 22-ball fifty to propel Kolkata Knight Riders to a formidable 206 for 4 in their must-win IPL match against Rajasthan Royals in Kolkata on Sunday.
The 37-year-old Jamaican, whose previous best this season was a modest 21 against Gujarat Titans, shrugged off a jittery start to unleash his trademark power-hitting, remaining unbeaten on 57 off 25 balls (4x4, 6x6).
Riding on Russell's late fireworks, KKR smashed 85 runs in the last five overs.
He found excellent support in young Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who played a composed hand of 44 from 31 balls (5x4) as the duo added 61 runs off 33 deliveries for the fifth wicket.
Rinku Singh added the final flourish with a cameo -- 19 not out off just six balls, including one four and two sixes -- to cap off KKR's late surge.
Russell was promoted to No. 5 in the crucial middle phase, but with spinners tightening the screws, KKR's momentum dipped.
Maheesh Theekshana (1/41) bowled a brilliant 14th over, giving away just two runs and keeping Russell quiet.
The Jamaican managed only 2 off his first 9 balls. Then came the 16th over from pacer Akash Madhwal and it changed the course of the game.
Russell hammered the inexperienced Indian for 4, 6, and 4 and from there, the carnage started.
Stand-in skipper Riyan Parag brought back Jofra Archer in the 17th over, but Russell, now well set, dispatched him over long-on for a six and followed it with a four.
In the 18th, he went ballistic against Theekshana, smashing three consecutive sixes in a 23-run over that reignited KKR's innings and pushed the run rate close to 10.
Russell brought up his maiden fifty of the season in style, spanking a 148kph full toss from Archer over square leg for a six, and followed it up with a powerful pull to the same region for a boundary.
Luck favoured him too as on the final ball of the over, Parag dropped a straightforward chance.
Opting to bat, KKR once again endured a shaky start with Sunil Narine departing early for 11.
The left-hander never looked settled, playing and missing before being castled by a clever slower delivery from Yudhvir Singh.
Archer was miserly upfront, conceding just five runs in his first two overs. But skipper Ajinkya Rahane (30) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (35) injected momentum during the power play.
Rahane, in fluent touch, began with a stylish flicked six over deep midwicket off Yudhvir.
He and Gurbaz stitched a 56-run stand in just 33 balls, taking the run-rate past nine an over.
However, KKR faltered in the middle overs on a tacky pitch where a few balls stopped, as Parag provided the breakthrough, removing Rahane.
The veteran right-hander, looking to sweep a full delivery, got a faint tickle to be caught behind.
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