"With A Left-Hander...": KKR Star Defends Captain Nitish Rana's Decision To Bowl First Over

12.05.2023 - 11:53 sports.ndtv.com

Kolkata Knight Riders top-order batter Venkatesh Iyer has defended Nitish Rana's decision to bowl the first over against Rajasthan Royals after the skipper ended up conceding 26 runs.

Defending a modest 149, Rana was the victim of RR opener Yashasvi Jaiswal's onslaught as he smashed the part-time off-spinner for 26 runs with two sixes and three fours that set the tone for RR's win in just 13.1 overs here on Thursday. "With a lefthander (Jaiswal) at the crease and him being an offispinner I don't think it was a wrong option," Venkatesh pointed out at the post-match media interaction.

The decision seemed baffling as KKR had in-form spinner in Varun Chakravarthy (17 wickets) but Venkatesh said it was more to do with match-ups. "We all know what he's capable with the bowl.

He has picked crucial wickets in his career. Unfortunately, it didn't go in our favour, had he picked up the wicket (of Jaiswal), it would have been a captain's masterstroke.

cricket Kolkata Knight Riders Rajasthan Royals Venkatesh Iyer Yashasvi Jaiswal Nitish Rana Kolkata Sandeep

Kolkata Knight Riders nearly pulled off a sensational chase against Lucknow Super Giants, all because of the ever-reliable Rinku Singh. This time, however, Rinku's effort fell marginally short, with LSG securing a 1-run victory to qualify for the playoffs. The result might not have gone KKR's way but Rinku earned plenty of praise from the cricketing fraternity and fans on social media. Even Lucknow mentor Gautam Gambhir took to Twitter to post a 'sensational' tweet for the Knight Riders man.

"When Rinku Singh Is There...": Krunal Pandya, Nitish Rana Sum Up KKR Star's Impact In IPL 2023

Lucknow Super Giants captain Krunal Pandya on Saturday lauded his side's fighting spirit in their thrilling one-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders that took them to the IPL play-offs. LSG's regular skipper KL Rahul was ruled out of the tournament earlier this month after injuring his right thigh in a match against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Krunal was handed the captaincy and he did an impressive job, leading the side into the play-offs.

"As Soon As I Heard...": Sunil Gavaskar On Prompt Decision To Take MS Dhoni's Autograph

After his side's loss to Kolkata Knight Riders in their Indian Premier League 2023 match, Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni was seen sharing a heartwarming moment with legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar. As Dhoni and CSK players were doing a lap around the Chepauk to give goodies to the fans, Gavaskar, who is currently part of the commentary team for IPL 2023, ran towards the wicketkeeper-batter and took his autograph on his shirt. After that the duo also shared a hug.

MS Dhoni's 'Special Gift' For Rinku Singh After KKR's Win Over CSK In IPL 2023

Following the conclusion of their set of home matches on Sunday, Chennai Super Kings stars took a lap of honour around the MA Chidambaram Stadium to thank the fans for their support. Though the match -- what could be CSK's final game of the season at home if they don't qualify for the playoffs -- ended in a loss to Kolkata Knight Riders, the players of the side made sure the fans didn't go their homes disappointed. MS Dhoni was the epi-centre of the lap of honour that took place at Chepauk on Sunday night.

Nitish Rana Fined Rs 24 Lakh For Maintaining Slow-Over Rate

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Nitish Rana has been fined Rs 24 lakh for maintaining a slow over-rate during their Indian Premier League match against Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk. "As it was his team's second offence of the season under the IPL's Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, Mr. Rana has been fined Rs. 24 lakh and each member of the Playing XI, including the impact substitute, is fined Rs. 6 lakh or 25 percent of the match fee, whichever is lesser," read an IPL media advisory.

Watch: Nitish Rana Fumes At Umpires After KKR Receive Punishment For Slow Over Rate During CSK Match

Nitish Rana was left fuming at the umpires at one stage during Kolkata Knight Riders' IPL 2023 match against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday. The incident took place ahead of the last over of CSK's innings. Vaibhav Arora was about to bowl the last over with set batters Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja in the crease. However, due to their slow over rate, KKR received punishment. Under new rules, they became bound to keep a maximum of four fielders outside the circle instead of five. Visuals showed that Rana lashed out at the umpires and got involved in a heated argument with them.