Kolkata Knighr Riders celebrate the fall of a KXIP wicket on Saturday. Image Source: BCCI/IPL

Xtra Time Web Desk: Kolkata Knight Rider’s snatched a thrilling two run VICTIRY from the claws of defeat against Kings XI Punjab in Match No 24 of the ongoing IPL 2020 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Saturday. Batting first the Knight Riders posted a decent 164/6 with Captain Dinesh Karthik at last coming good with the bat. The KKR captain scored a brilliant 58 from 29 balls which included 8 hits to the fence and two sixes. Shubman Gill too made an useful contribution with the bat, scoring 57 runs from 47 balls. Chasing 162 runs to win, KXIP were cruising at one stage with the two in form openers KL Rahul (74 runs from 58 balls) and Mayank Agarwal (56 off 39) stitching 115 runs for the first wicket from 14.1 overs before Agarwal was caught by Gill off the bowling of Prasidh Krishna. But the Knight Riders made a stunning comeback in the last two overs with Prasidh Krishna and Sunil Narine scripting their win. With 29 runs needed off the last four overs, the Kings XI Punjab batsman choked at the end to let the match slip out of their hands.

The Kings needed 16 off the last over bowled by Narine but Maxwell failed to see his side home.

Talking about the thrilling win, KKR Captain Dinesh Karthik said, "The way Rahul and Mayank batted, we thought we needed to so something really special to come back into the game. With Sunny and Varun there, and Prasidh bowling the way he has done in his first game.”

The KKR captain once again promoted himself ahead of Andre Russell. But this time he was up to the mark, scoring runs freely.

“McCullum has been encouraging me to bat higher in the order, but I am looking at what the team needs. I have to give him credit for keeping me in this space.”

Andre Russell injured his shoulder trying to take a catch off K L Rahul as he banged across the advertisement boards.

“ Whenever Russell gets injured, you know it is hard. He is a very special player, he is a very special person.”

Heaping loads of praises of Prasidh Lrishna, Karthik said, “Prasidh is special. The way he came back and bowled in the second spell shows how good he is. Sunil Narine stands up for us a lot of time. He is calm. He is always looking to find the best way to contribute to the team. Not only Sunil, a lot of credit needs to be given to Morgan and McCullum. I am very lucky to have the world's best captain by results in my side."

On the other KXIP Captain KL Rahull looked visibly upset with his team.

"I have no answers. We just need to keep coming harder in the next seven games. We bowled really really well. This was a fresh strip so we didn't know what were good lines and lengths. And the bowlers adjusted really well. And they were brave at the death too. Don't think we were satisfied at any stage in the chase. You are satisfied only when you win the game. Towards the end, we kept losing wickets, and couldn't get us over the line," said Rahul. The win took KKR to 8 points from 6 matches as Dinesh Karthik’s side are placed at third spot while KXIP are rock bottom with just 2 points from 7 game

The Kings needed 16 off the last over bowled by Narine but Maxwell failed to see his side home.

Talking about the thrilling win, KKR Captain Dinesh Karthik said, "The way Rahul and Mayank batted, we thought we needed to so something really special to come back into the game. With Sunny and Varun there, and Prasidh bowling the way he has done in his first game.”

The KKR captain once again promoted himself ahead of Andre Russell. But this time he was up to the mark, scoring runs freely.

“McCullum has been encouraging me to bat higher in the order, but I am looking at what the team needs. I have to give him credit for keeping me in this space.”

Andre Russell injured his shoulder trying to take a catch off K L Rahul as he banged across the advertisement boards.

“ Whenever Russell gets injured, you know it is hard. He is a very special player, he is a very special person.”

Heaping loads of praises of Prasidh Lrishna, Karthik said, “Prasidh is special. The way he came back and bowled in the second spell shows how good he is. Sunil Narine stands up for us a lot of time. He is calm. He is always looking to find the best way to contribute to the team. Not only Sunil, a lot of credit needs to be given to Morgan and McCullum. I am very lucky to have the world's best captain by results in my side."

On the other KXIP Captain KL Rahull looked visibly upset with his team.

"I have no answers. We just need to keep coming harder in the next seven games. We bowled really really well. This was a fresh strip so we didn't know what were good lines and lengths. And the bowlers adjusted really well. And they were brave at the death too. Don't think we were satisfied at any stage in the chase. You are satisfied only when you win the game. Towards the end, we kept losing wickets, and couldn't get us over the line," said Rahul. The win took KKR to 8 points from 6 matches as Dinesh Karthik’s side are placed at third spot while KXIP are rock bottom with just 2 points from 7 game

IPL 2020: Kolkata Knight Rider’s snatch a thrilling win as KXIP chokes yet again