In a nail-biting, high-scoring Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fell just short of victory, losing to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by four runs at Eden Gardens on Tuesday.
Chasing a mammoth target of 239, KKR looked strong at 149 for 2 in 12 overs, but a late batting collapse saw them finish at 234 for 7 in their 20 overs. Captain Ajinkya Rahane led the charge with a valiant 61 off 35 balls, smashing eight boundaries and two sixes. Venkatesh Iyer added 45, while Rinku Singh’s explosive 15-ball 38 not out raised hopes, but wasn’t enough to seal the win.
Earlier, LSG posted a daunting total of 238/3, riding on explosive innings from Nicholas Pooran, who remained unbeaten on 87, and Mitchell Marsh, who hammered 81.
Brief Scores:
LSG: 238/3 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 87*, Mitchell Marsh 81; Harshit Rana 2/51)
KKR: 234/7 in 20 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 61, Venkatesh Iyer 45, Rinku Singh 38*; Shardul Thakur 2/52)