Nitish Rana led the chase with a 47-ball 68 but an untimely delay due to floodlight failure at Eden Gardens broke his rhythm and the youngster was dismissed with the hosts still needing more than 60 runs to win in less than 5 overs. The asking rate was big and with bowlers like Rashid Khan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in their line-up, Sunrisers were the hands down favourites to win this match.

But these are moments which a certain Andre Russell cherishes. With his back to the wall and an anxious crowd at the Eden praying for a miracle, the Windies all-rounder went full tilt, taking SRH’s experienced bowlers apart. In a blitz that lasted 19 balls, Russell hit 4 boundaries and 4 maximums to bring the match alive.

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Russell’s brilliance with the bat meant KKR needed 13 runs off the last over and youngster Shubman Gill finished the proceedings off with the big man stranded unbeaten on 49 runs. But Russell won’t mind missing his half-century as Kolkata won the match.

Russell had earlier picked up two wickets to put in yet another all-round shift for the team. But it was his knock with the bat that proved to be the turning point of the match.

First Published: Mar 24, 2019 20:13 IST