Rajasthan Royals beat Kolkata Knight Riders (Super Over)

Defending champions Rajasthan Royals beat Knight Riders in the Super Over to clinch their first IPL win of the season. (Man of the Match: Yusuf Pathan)

Each team gets one over to bat and the team which scores the most wins. If it’s a tie then the team which scores the most sixes in that over wins. Each team will select two players - one to bowl and one to bat.

First to perish was captain Brendon McCullum, whose batting woes continued to haunt him for the third time in the tournament. He fell prey to Dmitri Mascarenhas for just three runs. McCullum, lured by a short and wide delivery, tried to clear the cover fence. He failed to connect it properly as the ball hit the lower edge of his bat and went in the air, only to land in the hands of Kamran Khan at cover.

Next to go was the dangerous Chris Gayle, who slammed quickfire 41 runs before falling to Shane Warne. Gayle fell for the flight and was taken by Ravindra Jadeja at long-on. Gayle, who survived a chance as wicketkeeper Mahesh Rawat dropped him, struck two fours and four sixers during his knock.

Rawat compensated quickly for his goof-up as he took a magnificent catch to dismiss Laxmi Ratan Shukla (13) off Kamran Khan’s bowling. Shukla, who was looking to steer it through the covers, edged it and Rawat dived to his left to take a low catch.

Kamran soon got Sanjay Bangar as his second wicket of the evening. Bangar cut a delivery that was short and a bit outside the off-stump and was taken at backward point by Graeme Smith for 2 runs.

Earlier, put in to bat by the Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals made a fighting score of 150 runs at the loss of five wickets in their IPL match at the Newlands Stadium.

Knight Riders went for the kill and got the first success in the second over of the match. Kolkata pacer Anureet Singh struck in the second over to dismiss Paul Valthaty for five runs. The Rajasthan opener slashed one from Anureet and Ishant took a well-judged catch in the deep.

In the very next over, Ishant removed Quiney for 6 runs with a short delivery that was going outside the off-stump. Quiney, in an attempt to steer it toward the covers, edged it and Chris Gayle gathered it cleanly at the first slip.

After these initial blows, Yusuf Pathan and Graeme Smith combined to consolidate the innings and added 56 runs for the third wicket. But the latest spin sensation from Sri Lanka, Ajantha Mendis broke the crucial partnership and dismissed the duo in his same over.

Mendis got his first victim in Rajasthan opener Smith for 15 runs. Smith tried to direct a fuller delivery from the latest spin sensation from Sri Lanka in the on side. But the ball hit his pad in front of the stumps and flew towards Gayle at first slip who took a low, diving catch.

Yusuf missed out on his well-deserved fifty against as Mendis got rid of him for 42 runs. Pathan, who had hit six boundaries and two sixes, played Mendis against the spin in not a very elegant way and a substitute fielder caught him safely at point.

Ishant got his second victim in Ravindra Jadeja (22). The Saurashtra all-rounder mishit his shot and was successfully taken by Yashpal Singh at short mid-off.

A young Kolkata pacer, Anureet Singh was rewarded for his good bowling with the wicket of Dmitri Mascarenhas. The English batsman was done in by a beautiful Yorker from the rookie that knocked off his off-stump.

Abhishek Raut, with his skipper at the other hand, slammed the last over for 18 runs with the help of two sixes and a four, and remained unbeaten on 21 runs.

Knight Riders, who won the rain-marred match against Kings XI Punjab on Tuesday by 11 runs with the Duckworth-Lewis method playing the decider, are aiming to continue the winning momentum.

Defending champions Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, are still looking for their first win in the second season of the Indian Premier League. While they were stunned by Royal Challengers Bangalore in their IPL opener, rain washed out their second encounter against Mumbai Indians on Tuesday.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Brendon McCullum, Chris Gayle, Brad Hodge, Sourav Ganguly, Sanjay Bangar, Yashpal Singh, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Ajantha Mendis, Ajit Agarkar, Ishant Sharma, Anureet Singh

Rajasthan Royals: Graeme Smith, Dmitri Mascarenhas, Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, Paul Valthaty, Rob Quiney, Abhishek Raut, Mahesh Rawat, Shane Warne, Munaf Patel, Kamran Khan.

Credits: NDTVCricket