After Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine set the tone for Kolkata Knight Riders’ seven-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad, the chase of 166 was handled with calm authority.
Finn Allen’s blistering start immediately put SRH on the back foot, and from there, Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Ajinkya Rahane stitched together a composed, risk-free 84-run partnership that kept KKR firmly in control.
Raghuvanshi, who brought up a defiant half-century – his third of the season – later revealed that his focus remained rooted in the moment rather than the scoreboard.
“With the older ball, the pitch got a little tougher, it got slower, so the start that Ajinkya bhaiya And what Finn gave us was very crucial. We got in front of the game in the PowerPlay and it got easier from there.”
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Raghuvanshi noted that despite Travis Head’s onslaught, which helped SRH to 105 in nine overs, the Knight Riders trusted the conditions – and its bowlers – to shift the game back in their favour, ultimately scooping up the remaining nine SRH wickets for just 60 runs.
“We knew that it would be a pitch that would help batting with the new ball but it would get tougher with the older ball. It was just about keeping SRH as low as we can in the PowerPlay, because we trusted our spinners to do the job later.”
“Varun bhaiya had a tough start to the season, but we know that he is magic and when he is in his element, I don’t think any batter can play him. Sunny, I don’t think he has ever had it tough, he has dominated this tournament for years.”
Published on May 04, 2026
