IPL 2022| KKR vs RR - Superstar of the Match

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) took the field against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Match 47 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The viewers were treated to a thriller on a slowish pitch that assisted the bowlers.


In a match dominated mostly by bowlers, there were a few decent knocks played by the batters of both teams. However, KKR kept their nerves and won the match by seven wickets. 


While chasing a moderate target of 153 runs, the Men in Purple were in a fix at a stage, but essential knocks from Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh steered them through.


Situation of the Match: Rana came in to bat when the team’s score was 32 for 2 in the sixth over of the innings. Shreyas Iyer was batting at the other end but was finding it difficult to get going fluently. 


Rana, at that stage, played an impressive counter-attacking brand of cricket, which relieved some pressure off the team. As the complexion of the match changed, Rana took a steadier approach. After Iyer’s dismissal, Rinku Singh came into the crease, and Rana passed the baton of being an aggressor to the young man. Rana geared down competently and let Singh take charge.


Rana’s Progress: Let us look at how Nitish Rana approached his innings.


Balls

Runs

Strike Rate

1-10

8

80.00

11-20

18

180.00

21-30

12

120.00

31-37

10

142.85


Nitish Rana’s Strike Rate in Match 47


Observation: The knock from Nitish Rana was a well-structured one. The pitch needed time for batters to get an idea of the conditions. He batted with a strike rate of 80.00 at the beginning of his innings before getting settled. 


As he started to get an idea of the conditions, he launched on to the most experienced opposition bowler in Ravichandran Ashwin. In the 11th over the chase, Rana slammed Ashwin for two fours and a six and brought the momentum in the KKR innings.


As KKR’s captain went back to the hut, Rana assessed the situation correctly and understood the importance of his wicket. He let Rinku take on the charge and kept rotating the strike. Rana showed great composure and understanding of the match situation. He acted as the anchor of KKR’s chase and avoided any collapse throughout the chase.