IPL 2018, Match 15, RR vs KKR - Kolkata Knight Riders Player Ratings

The Rajasthan Royals were humbled in their own backyard by the visiting Kolkata Knight Riders. The defeat now means that the KKR camp have three wins this season. On the other hand, the defeat meant that the Royals were handed their second defeat of the season. The end result of the game has certainly shaken up the points table and has made things quite interesting.

Coming to the game, both sides had the winning momentum in their corners. Hence, it was tough to pick a clear favorite for the game. However, many believed that the clinical Royals could pip the Kolkata Knight Riders in the fixture. But as things turned out, it was the reverse case. The KKR camp came up with a thoroughly clinical performance to outplay the hosts in all the three departments.

Despite a poor start with the ball, the Knight Riders brought the game back in their favor soon. Barring the RR openers, no player crossed the 30-run mark in the game. The hosts were restricted to 160/8 in their stipulated 20 overs.

In the run chase, KKR lost Chris Lynn for a duck in the very first over. But a steady Robin Uthappa (48) and a breezy Sunil Narine (35) put KKR right on top in the run chase. Eventually, KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik and Nitish Rana stayed unbeaten at the crease to see KKR home by 7 wickets.

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

Chris Lynn – 1/10

Chris Lynn had a tough time in the match. Lynn has not been able to live up to his expectations this season. He has scored runs but at a pace slower than what one would expect from him. In this game, he bagged a duck and was dismissed in the very first over by K Gowtham.

Sunil Narine – 6/10

Sunil Narine had a mixed bag of a day in the match. He scored a quick 35 off 25 deliveries with five boundaries and a six to keep the Kolkata Knight Riders in command of the run chase. But, earlier in the game, he had a horrible time with the ball. He leaked 48 runs in the four overs that he bowled.

Robin Uthappa – 8/10

Robin Uthappa has been getting decent starts for KKR this season. But many critics complained that he has not converted the good starts to big scores. In this game, he got an inch better, and scored 48 off 36 deliveries with six fours and two sixes. He is certainly getting better with each game this season.

Dinesh Karthik – 8.5/10

The KKR skipper has been playing very sensible cricket. The pressure of leadership seems to be getting better out of him in the season. He has made a cautious effort to finish off games for his side. He was very much successful in his efforts in this game. Karthik remained unbeaten on 42 off 23 balls with two sixes and as many number of fours to see his side home in the game.

Nitish Rana – 9/10

Nitish Rana was undoubtedly the player of the game for his side. Not only did he contribute with the bat, but also managed to play a key role with the ball. He took the wickets of both the set Royals batsmen – D Arcy Short and Ajinkya Rahane. With the bat in hand, he scored an unbeaten 35 off 27 balls to ensure that the KKR team chased down the target with ease.

Andre Russell – 2/10

Andre Russell has been one of the top performers for the Kolkata Knight Riders this season. However, in this particular game, his services were not used by the team. He did not bowl in the game and was not even required to do the batting. He took a decent catch in the match to dismiss Rahul Tripathi.

Shubman Gill – Not Assigned

Shubman Gill did not have a great deal of work to do in the game. He was decent on the field during the RR innings. With the bat, his services were not needed on the day.

Tom Curran – 7.5/10

The Kolkata Knight Riders camp continued to show faith in Tom Curran. Curran got an extended run in the game and he fared decently well. Considering the fact that he bowled in the death overs, he gave just 19 runs in the two overs that he bowled. Also, he managed to take wickets in the death overs and scalped two wickets in the game.

Piyush Chawla – 8/10

Veteran leggie Piyush Chawla is one of the most underrated players in the tournament. He has been a key player for the KKR camp but is often an unsung hero. In the match, his spell of four overs yielded just 18 runs. Also, he bagged the big wicket of Ben Stokes, who was threatening to cut loose in the game.

Shivam Mavi – 5/10

Shivam Mavi has been an impressive young Indian bowler. Mavi bowled with sheer pace in the game and clocked speeds in the vicinity of 140 clicks. However, Ajinkya Rahane was good enough to use his pace and score runs in the early overs. Mavi conceded 40 runs in his four overs but managed to bag the big wicket of in-form batter Sanju Samson.

Kuldeep Yadav – 7/10

Kuldeep Yadav bowled well in the game to keep things under control for his side. He gave away just 23 runs in his quota of four overs and ensured that the dangerous RR middle order did not step on the accelerator. He took the wicket of Rahul Tripathi in the match.

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