Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) kicked off their IPL 2022 campaign with a clinical win over defending champions Chennai Super Kings in the opening game of the new season at Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.
Chasing a target of 132, KKR was never in trouble as their top-order collectively contributed. Ajinkya Rahane scored the highest score for his team with 44 on his return to the IPL. The right-hander played orthodox shots and got off to a quick start in the power play.
He scored six fours and a maximum during his stay in the fold and was part of two crucial partnerships that ensured Kolkata was always at the forefront of the chase. In the end, they completed the chase quite comfortably and booked the first points of the fresh season.
Previously, Umesh Yadav’s opening spell startled the yellow brigade early on and they always played from behind. There were also some sloppy batters from their batters and they had lost half of the side in the first 11 overs.
MS Dhonic and the new captain, Ravindra Jadeja, went on to stitch an unbeaten 70-run partnership for the 6th wicket. Dhoni scored his first fifty in nearly three years and played quite a few vintage strokes, turning back the years.
They managed to put 132 runs on the board, but it wasn’t nearly enough for their bowlers to defend. Nevertheless, the win was fully deserved by KKR and Shreyas Iyer kicks off his new captaincy with a win.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to CSK vs KKR, Game 1:
Good result for Shreyas and kkr. Death bowling will need some tweaking in the future though. #KKRvsCSK
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) March 26, 2022
What a start to #IPL2022 †#KKR #KKRHaiTaiyaar #CSKvKKR #GalaxyOfKnights #কেকেআর pic.twitter.com/J5pJfIMWkt
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRIders) March 26, 2022
KKR defeated CSK in the opening match of IPL 2022.
— Cricket Updates (@CRICKET04756762) March 26, 2022
CSK at the end of IPL League matches. pic.twitter.com/V0auuGlRtV
— Vicky Shinde (@iamshinde83) March 26, 2022
Win or lose Thala @msdhoni Fifty made my day pic.twitter.com/L4pNbbTJ3q
— Ver SFC ᵉᵗʰᵃʳᵏᵏᵘᵐ ᵗʰᵘⁿⁱⁿᵈʰᵃᵛᵃⁿ (@faar369) March 26, 2022
Well fought #Csk †
— Prashanth Rangaswamy (@itisprashanth) March 26, 2022
Shreyas Iyer has started the KKR captaincy with a victory, a new era of knights has begun.
— Jansen. (@CricCrazyJohns) March 26, 2022
Once Moeen Ali and Deepak Chahar return, this team will look totally different #IPL2022
— Prasanna (@prasannalara) March 26, 2022
Kolkata Knight Riders won the match with 6 Wickets against CSK. Shreyas Iyer finished the game with a four on his Captaincy debut for KKR. #IPL2022 pic.twitter.com/80ZT2QS81T
— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) March 26, 2022
More than good leadership, I just want Jadeja to put herself first.
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) March 26, 2022
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