Brook's Maiden IPL Ton Helps SRH Overcome KKR Despite Assaults From Nitish, Rinku
Harry Brook [Image- IPLT20]
Breathtaking knocks from Nitish Rana (75 off 41) and Rinku Singh (58* off 31) weren't enough as Kolkata Knight Riders fell 23 runs short of their target in a high-scoring affair against a rampant SunRisers Hyderabad unit at a packed Eden Gardens on Friday evening.
Chasing a monstrous total of 228, Kolkata Knight Riders looked like staring down the barrel after they lost their first 3 wickets for 34 runs in the first 5 overs courtesy of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Marco Jansen.
Then, came a slight twist. Entered Umran Malik into the attack, and he decided that banging in short at his pace and at a stadium with tiny square boundaries was the best idea.
He soon realized that it was the worst as KKR skipper Nitish Rana pulled, cut, hooked him to the tune of -6,4,4,4,4,6- 28 runs in the final over of the powerplay.
Then, in the next over, Rahul Tripathi dropped a sitter of a slog-sweeping N Jagadeesan, and suddenly, it felt as if SRH had totally lost it.
With Rana on song at the other end, Jagadeesan too chipped in with some lusty strokes, but he soon perished after yet another attempt to slog-sweep Mayank Markande went wrong.
Rana continued with his delightful strokeplay, but KKR soon got dealt with another bodyblow as Andre Russell again fell cheaply to a spinner, leaving them reeling at 96/5. Mayank was the pick of the bowlers for SRH. The young leggie just gave away 27 runs in his 4 overs and claimed two wickets, including the prized scalp of Dre Russ.
But, as we have over multiple games since the last IPL, no KKR game is ever finished until Rinku Singh is out.
Rana soon completed a brilliant 25-ball half-century, and soon, Rinku joined the party, stroking the likes of Marco Jansen, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan for 3 sixes and a four in his first 18 deliveries.
The duo added 69 runs in 6.2 overs before Rana holed out to Washington Sundar at sweeper cover off Natarajan.
With 63 needed off the last 20 deliveries, KKR needed both Rinku and Shardul to channelize their inner beast once again.
Rinku smashed Natarajan for a couple of fours in the penultimate over, before nearly holing out on the final delivery after he struck an attempted pull shot straight to the boundary rider, who ended up shelling it.
Rinku brought up his half-century in just 27 deliveries, leaving KKR with 32 to get in the final over. But, this time, it proved to be a bridge too far to scale for him as he ran out of partners and deliveries.
Harry Brook's stunning ton headlined SRH's onslaught
A magnificent 55-ball hundred from young Harry Brook headlined SunRisers Hyderabad batting display, which propelled them to 228/4 in 20 overs.
Having endured a terrible start to his IPL career, the Yorkshire cricketer finally turned up the heat with his precocious hitting talent against pace, painting a packed Eden Gardens with his audacious and brutal strokeplay.
SRH lost one of their openers in Mayank Agarwal, and then Rahul Tripathi cheaply, but Brook's sustained attack (33 off 13 in the powerplay) against the pacers ensured the two dismissals didn't matter much.
Brook slowed down against the spin trio of KKR post the powerplay, but he had Aiden Markram for company, who took the attack to Suyash Sharma, scoring 16 off the 12th over.
Markram raced to a 25-ball half-century, and his take down of spin, gave Brook breathing space. He soon reached his 50 in 32 deliveries before launching a stunning assault on Lockie Ferguson.
Markram, meanwhile, holed out to Varun Chakravarthy, which brought Abhishek Sharma to the crease.
Suyash could have had Sharma for 1 but Shardul Thakur dropped a sitter, and it ultimately proved to be a costly miss as the southpaw took him, Sunil Narine and Varun to the cleaners with delightful hitting.
Abhishek's cameo (32 off 17) was ended by Andre Russell, but there proved to be no respite for KKR as their all-rounder injured himself, forcing Nitish Rana to turn to Shardul to complete the over.
Brook and Heinrich Klaasen took full toll as they smashed three fours off Thakur. Brook eventually completed his maiden IPL ton in the final over bowled by Umesh, before Klaasen smashed another six to power SRH to 228/4.
Brief Score:
SRH: 228/4 (20)
Harry Brook 100* (55), Aiden Markram 50 (26);
Andre Russell 3/22 (2.1), Varun Chakravarthy 1/41 (4)
KKR: 205/7 (20)
Nitish Rana 75 (41), Rinku Singh 58* (31);
Mayank Markande 2/27 (4), Marco Jansen 2/37 (4)
Result: SRH won by 23 runs
 "Yash Mittal")
