IPL 2018, Eliminator, KKR vs RR - Kolkata Knight Riders Player Ratings

The Rajasthan Royals goofed up big time in the all important Eliminator of IPL 2018. They crashed out at a crunch time in the game to eventually fall short by 25 runs against the Kolkata Knight Riders. With the win, the Knight Riders have now set up their next date with the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Much to their delight, they will play against the Sunrisers at the same venue, which also happens to be their home ground.

Earlier in the match today, the Kolkata Knight Riders had a terribly top order collapse after they were asked to bat first. With K Gowtham and Jofra Archer bowling well with the new ball, the Rajasthan Royals had assumed ascendancy in the game. It was Dinesh Karthik’s fifty combined with a handy cameo from Shubman Gill that kept the KKR camp interested. Later, Andre Russell provided the final flourish with a quick unbeaten 49 to take the KKR total to 169/7 in 20 overs.

The run chase looked pretty much in control with the RR openers, Rahul Tripathi and Ajinkya Tripathi, adding 47 runs for the first wicket. Even after Tripathi’s dismissal, the innings had the stability with Sanju Samson coming good in the match. While Rahane scored 46, Samson hit a key 50. But once the two set batsmen perished in quick succession, the RR innings failed to get over the line. They fell short by 25 runs to see their campaign end in the season.

Here are the Kolkata Knight Riders player ratings for the match:

Chris Lynn – 2/10

Coming in to the game, Chris Lynn was tipped to play a big role for the Knight Riders. Lynn, however, found himself struggling on the wicket. With K Gowtham bowling well, Lynn could not cut loose early in the game. He struggled for 22 balls for his 18 runs before getting dismissed by Shreyas Gopal.

Sunil Narine – 1/10

Sunil Narine has been one of the most valuable players for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the season. He started off on a brisk note with a four off the very first ball of the match. However, he was dismissed on the next ball by K Gowtham. Narine had a bad time with the ball as well. He returned with figures of 0/39 in the four overs that he bowled.

Robin Uthappa – 1/10

Robin Uthappa had started off poorly this season but had managed to get in some good touch in the later stages. In the recent times, he seems to have lost his form again. Uthappa arrived at the crease in the very first over but did not make use of the opportunity. He was dismissed on 3 by K Gowtham.

Nitish Rana – 1/10

With Sunil Narine and Robin Uthappa back in the hut cheaply on the day, the onus was on Nitish Rana to steady the sinking ship for the team. But Rana failed to do so and was sent packing on 3 by Jofra Archer. He largely let his team down with the bat.

Dinesh Karthik – 9/10

The Kolkata Knight Riders skipper, Dinesh Karthik, played a very sensible knock in the match. His side was in deep trouble when he walked in to bat. He showed great character to anchor the innings with his 38-ball 52 laced with four boundaries and a couple of sixes. Later in the game, he showed great composure with his captaincy skills as well.

Shubman Gill – 7/10

Young Shubman Gill has largely been underused in the season. Gill got his opportunity in the match and he did show glimpses of what he can do with the bat. Gill played a good cameo of 27 runs that came in just 18 deliveries. He played the supporting role for Dinesh Karthik in the innings.

Andre Russell – 9/10

When the wicket of Dinesh Karthik fell, the Royals sensed that they could potentially restrict the KKR total to a low score. But Andre Russell had other plans. Russell scored a brilliant unbeaten 49 off 25 deliveries to propel the KKR total to 169. Later in the game, he bowled decently well by conceding just 22 runs in his 3 overs.

Javon Searles – 2/10

Javon Searles, an all-rounder from the Caribbean islands, retained his place in the side for another game. He did not have a major role to play in the game though. He scored just 2 with the bat. And later in the game, he got only 1 over to bowl in which he conceded 13 runs.

Piyush Chawla – 9/10

Piyush Chawla had a very decent game on the day. He returned with figures of 2/24 in the four overs that he bowled. He got the first breakthrough for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the match when he dismissed Tripathi on 20. Later, he accounted for the big wicket of Sanju Samson.

Kuldeep Yadav – 8.5/10

Kuldeep Yadav had an excellent time with the ball in hand. After a lackluster show in the previous game, Kuldeep was back to his normal dominating self. He choked the run flow in the middle overs of the run chase. In the four overs that he bowled, he gave away just 18 runs and took the big wicket of Ajinkya Rahane.

Prasidh Krishna – 8/10

Young Karnataka pacer, Prasidh Krishna, has been highly impressive with the ball this season. He has been a value addition to the KKR camp. He finished with figures of 1/28 in his four overs and bowled exceedingly well in the death overs.

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