After four long years, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) returned to the Eden Gardens, hosting the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on April 6 for what seemed set to be a cracking contest. A Kolkatan by birth but an RCB fan by heart, this was my third time watching Virat Kohli and Co. play at Eden. Last time around, back in 2019, I had witnessed RCB get the better of KKR thanks to a Kohli masterclass, and much against the mood of a packed home crowd, I had similar hopes for this time, too. In what turned out to be a game to upend all expectations, here are my six key moments from the KKR-RCB encounter.
Loudest roars for King Kohli and King Khan
The traffic on Red Road came to a standstill as fans began their march towards the stadium right after sunset, with most dressed in purple and gold, but a fair few, including myself, decked up in red with “Virat 18” on our backs. The atmosphere inside Eden was electrifying, with the loudest cheers reserved for Kohli and, of course, Shah Rukh Khan.
Replacing Rinku
Rinku Singh started off watchfully but finished with 46 runs off 33 balls TT archives
RCB began the better of the two teams, and before we knew it, KKR had lost three wickets in a heap. At 47 for 3, Rinku Singh joined Rahmanullah Gurbaz at the crease. A restless uncle sitting next to me became increasingly agitated with Rinku’s measured approach, and began to call for an Impact Player to replace the left-hander. Right on cue, Rinku scooped the ball over the keeper for a six. Uncle was silenced as Eden burst into raptures for the umpteenth time.
The Shardul Show
Kolkata is no stranger to the lure of thakur (be it the gods or the Tagores). But a different Thakur took centre stage on Thursday night, as “Lord” Shardul Thakur played one of the most spellbinding innings by a number seven batter in IPL. His knock of 68 off 29 ensured that KKR had their fans screaming and singing all the way through the first innings, even though wickets were becoming a formality for RCB at the other end.
Lit up in purple
Eden bathed in purple light during the innings break Debrup Chaudhuri
The innings break in an IPL game is not usually the time for a spectacle. But this match proved to be an exception as the staff at Eden turned on the style with a scintillating lights exhibition at half-time. Steeped in purple, with a variety of hues dashing around in bursts, Eden looked closer to the home of a rock concert than a cricket match!
RCB making all the noise
Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis got RCB off to a strong start TT archives
After their superb partnership for the first wicket against the Mumbai Indians (MI) in Bengaluru, Kohli and Faf du Plessis picked up from where they left off against KKR. Motoring away at the start of the chase, both openers looked in fine fettle, taking on speedsters Tim Southee and Umesh Yadav with consummate ease. With every RCB boundary, KKR spirits were getting dampened. Not to mention the noise levels, which were suddenly being dominated by the minority of RCB supporters in the stadium (led by yours truly!). All this until KKR’s spin twins of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy cleaned up Kohli and du Plessis, respectively, in the space of four balls to turn the match on its head.
An uninterrupted KKR carnival
Suyash Sharma proved to be the secret weapon for KKR, picking up three wickets as an Impact Player TT archives
No strangers to batting collapses, RCB made me and their other diehards relive old traumas by imploding once again. Narine and Chakravarthy spun a web around the RCB batters, capturing six wickets between them. Impact substitute Suyash Sharma, looking like Neeraj Chopra, grabbed another three wickets as RCB were sent packing for 123. At their loudest since the match began, KKR fans were enjoying every second, with the decibels going through the roof at the sight of SRK taking a victory lap around the stadium. Even as the RCB contingent nursed a defeat, many could not help but let out a smile at the Baadshah’s presence, and proceeded to click pictures with him. That privilege was not extended to me, which meant I had to be content with sulking in the stands as the Knight Army celebrated wherever I looked.
