The Rajasthan Royals, staring at a definite defeat, pulled off an amazing turnaround, picking up six wickets in two overs to knock the stuffing out of the Kolkata Knight Riders and walk away with an outstanding victory in their IPL 2014 match in Ahmedabad.
KKR were in complete control of the chase of 171, after RR finished their first innings on 170 for six, with Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa putting on a partnership of 121 for the first wicket.
However, with KKR needing just 50 runs from the last six overs, it all went pear-shaped in the 15th and 16th overs, as Royals skipper Shane Watson (three for 21) and leg-spinner Pravin Tambe (three for 26) picked up three wickets each, with the latter's being a brilliant hat-trick.
Suddenly from 121 for no loss, KKR crashed to 123 for six, with no escape possible after those two disastrous overs as the Knight Riders finished on 160 for six, ten runs short of Royals' score.
The first innings was a good one from the Royals with all their top order batsmen contributing in some shape or form.
Ajinkya Rahane was the early catalyst towards the big score, with the right-hander looking in wonderful touch, playing a few perfectly timed boundaries and sixes.
Rahane's 22-ball 30 (3x4, 1x6) helped RR pile on 50 runs in the Powerplay, with the opening batsmen then unnecessarily running himself out, going for a single which was never there with Sunil Narine throwing down the stumps.
However, Karun Nair, so impressive in Royals' last win, and Sanju Samson yet again came together for a nice partnership, this time worth 53 from 42 balls. Both players played some good-looking strokes, while taking the game to the final overs for the likes of Shane Watson, Stuart Binny and Steven Smith to take charge.
Nair (44, 35b, 4x4, 1x6) was the first to go among the two youngsters, falling six runs short of his half-century after missing the ball completely while coming down the wicket to Shakib Al Hasan (one for 25).
Watson came in and started the assault brilliantly, smoking R Vinay Kumar (4-0-42-2) for a couple of sixes and a four in one over, with Samson's (37, 31b, 3x4) wicket - caught at deep midwicket off Narine (two for 28) -- in the next over, the 17th, curtailing the momentum a little bit.
The final three overs of the innings was chaotic and event-filled, with sixes, wickets and outstanding catches all coming to the fore, as Watson (31, 20b, 2x4, 2x6) fell after a quickfire knock thanks to a brilliant catch in the deep from Suryakumar Yadav.
A couple of wickets followed suit in the in the final over, while 11 runs were taken off it as well as RR settled on 170.
