IPL 2023: Opener Jason Roy powers KKR with another fifty

Kolkata Knight Riders batter Jason Roy has been on a roll in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The right-handed batter, who was promoted to the top, slammed a ferocious 29-ball 56 in match number 36 against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Roy's heroics helped KKR sail through the Powerplay. Notably, Roy smashed his second half-century of IPL 2023.

Roy, who has been in blazing form, notched up a 22-ball half-century in the eighth over. The England batter whacked his second consecutive fifty after slamming a 26-ball 61 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Roy now has four half-centuries in the cash-rich league. The 32-year-old ended up scoring 56 off 29 balls, a knock laced with 4 fours and 5 sixes.

Roy and N Jagadeesan opened for KKR after RCB elected to field. They became the sixth opening pair for them in eight matches this season (12th since IPL 2022). While Jagadeesan remained watchful, Roy was all guns blazing in the Powerplay. The latter smoked four sixes off Shahbaz Ahmed to end this phase. The Knight Riders were 66/0 after six overs.

This was the first time KKR did not lose a wicket in the first six overs in the ongoing IPL season. Interestingly, KKR had lost at least two wickets in this phase in each of their first seven matches.

Roy slammed a ferocious 26-ball 61 in match number 33 last week. Roy's heroics came against Chennai Super Kings at Eden Gardens, but it wasn't enough as the visitors tamed the Knights by 49 runs. Notably, Roy smashed the joint second-fastest fifty of IPL 2023. Roy's 19-ball effort saw him join Ajinkya Rahane, who scored a fifty from the same deliveries against Mumbai Indians.