RCB Shows Character in Narrow IPL Defeat to KKR

KKR Mentor Gambhir Lauds RCB's Character in Thrilling IPL Encounter

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Gautam Gambhir has praised Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for their resilience and character in their narrow one-run defeat to KKR at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.

In a match that ebbed and flowed, RCB displayed a fighting spirit despite losing early wickets. Phil Salt's blistering 48 off 14 balls gave them a solid start, while skipper Shreyas Iyer (50), Rinku Singh (24), Andre Russell (27*), and Ramandeep Singh (24*) contributed valuable runs.

However, KKR's bowlers, led by Cameron Green (2/35), kept the pressure on, restricting RCB to 222/6.

In the chase, RCB lost Virat Kohli and Faf Du Plessis cheaply. But a century partnership between Will Jacks (55) and Rajat Patidar (52) put them back in contention.

Russell and Sunil Narine then turned the tide with their economical spells, taking three and two wickets, respectively. Karn Sharma's late heroics with three sixes in the final over proved futile as RCB fell short by a single run.

Gambhir took to social media to commend RCB's performance. "Phenomenal display of character by RCB today," he wrote on his official X account.

Russell was named Player of the Match for his all-round contribution. With this victory, KKR moved up to second place in the standings, while RCB remained at the bottom.

Tags: #IPL2024, #KKR, #RCB, #GautamGambhir, #AndreRussell